Halloween Safety Tips
Let’s keep Halloween fun, spooky and lighthearted with costumes and decorations. Safety matters, especially on a night filled with increased pedestrian activity. What should be an enjoyable and joyous night can unfortunately turn tragic with the increased number of pedestrians on the streets. Children are twice as likely to be killed/injured by a car on Halloween than any other night of the year.
Here are some helpful tips to ensure your entire family has a funny and safe Halloween:
Have a plan before you leave. Map out where you and your students should go in case of an emergency to maintain safety.
As a driver, slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are very excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways. When driving, ensure safety and anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
Look both ways before crossing the street. Walk on sidewalks and cross the streets at corners only for safety.
Limit your social media sharing and whereabouts for the night. Don’t overshare! Keep safety in mind as burglars have been known to take advantage of homes when they know they’re empty.
Observe all treats, and dispose of any that appear to have been opened, tampered with, or are not wrapped.
Wear fitted costumes to prevent tripping and blocked vision, prioritizing safety.
Ensure that older kids are trick-or-treating with a group of friends for safety.
Ensure that your children carry glow sticks, flashlights, or wear reflective clothing when trick-or-treating in the dark. This enhances safety.
Never allow children to go trick-or-treating alone or to visit a home with no lights on to ensure safety.
Other helpful tips to keep in mind:
Registered Sex offenders: You may have a few registered sex offenders in your neighborhood. Safety should be a high priority; they should not have their front house lights on and should not be opening their door if a child knocks. Some cities host meetings for registered sex offenders on Halloween night to get them out of their house and account for them.
Blue Halloween Buckets: blue Halloween buckets signify that the child might be non-verbal and therefore may not be capable of saying “trick-or-treat”. A mom of a non-verbal autistic child implemented this initiative to raise autism awareness and safety.
Food allergies: You may have kids with food allergies, the Teal Pumpkin Project encourages you to have a few non-food options available such as a small toy. This can increase safety for those with allergies.
Download Crimestoppers Halloween Safety tips here to give to your family and friends!