tips for a safe and spook-tastic Halloween

Many children look forward to Halloween! They have the chance to dress up in costumes and trick-or-treat in hopes of receiving tons of their favorite treats. The night can be plenty of fun, however it also has the potential to become dangerous. Twice as many children are killed while walking on Halloween than any other day of the year. That’s why it’s important to be proactive and take necessary precautions when walking and driving on this eventful evening.

While you’re out enjoying the many Halloween festivities, keep these tips in mind:

Choosing a costume:

• Opt for non-toxic face paint instead of masks to increase your child's ability to see where they are going. 
• Avoid any sharp or long swords, canes or sticks as a costume accessory. Your child can easily be hurt by these accessories if they stumble or trip.
• Assure that motorists can see your children in the evening by having them carry a flashlight, wearing a small flashing strobe light or using glow sticks. While these options work best, reflective clothing or tape is a good option if you are in a well-lit area.

trick-or-treating

• Use sidewalks when available. When sidewalks aren’t available, walk as far to the side of the road as possible, facing traffic so that you can see any upcoming vehicular hazards.
• Remind children to cross the street at crosswalks where available and to always look both ways before crossing the street and over driveways.
• If older childrens are trick-or-treating along, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time they should return home and get flashlights with batteries for everyone.

Make sure that you know when Beggar’s Night is in your area. Click here to find beggar’s night and trick-or-treating events around Dayton.

Let's have some skele-fun and enjoy your Halloween festivities! For more information on Halloween safety tips, you can visit Safe Kids Worldwide here.