Happy Halloween! This spooky holiday is full of fun and festivity, but it’s important to talk to kids about staying safe during a night of trick or treating. Safe Kids Mid-South, led by Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, shares ways to keep your children safe.

The organization recommends that children:

• Always trick or treat with an adult until the age of 10
• Only trick or treat in areas that are well lit
• Cross streets at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks
• Look left, right and left again when crossing; always walk, don’t run, when crossing streets
• Make eye contact with drivers and watch for cars that are turning or backing up
• Walk on sidewalks or paths; if there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible
• Wear light-colored, flame retardant costumes decorated with retro-reflective tape or stickers
• Wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes to prevent trips and falls
• Carry a flashlight or glow stick to increase visibility to drivers
• Wear face paint and makeup; a mask can restrict a child’s vision
• Only eat treats and candy that are properly wrapped in their original packaging

It is also important that drivers do their part to keep trick-or-treaters safe. Safe Kids recommends that drivers:

• Be especially alert in residential neighborhoods
• Drive more slowly and anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic on and near the road
• Be sure to drive with full headlights on they can spot children from greater distances
• Take extra time to actively look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs
• Remember that costumes can limit children’s visibility and they may not be able to see a moving vehicle
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully
• Remember that children are excited on this night and may move in unpredictable ways
• Remember that popular trick or treating hours are during the typical rush hour period, between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m.
• Reduce distraction inside their car so they can concentrate on the road and on pedestrians
  

As Halloween nears, it’s important to talk to kids about staying safe during a night of trick or treating. Though the night is full of fun and festivity, children can be particularly vulnerable to some dangers on Halloween. Safe Kids Mid-South, led by Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, shares ways to keep your children safe.

The organization recommends that children:

• Always trick or treat with an adult until the age of 10
• Only trick or treat in areas that are well lit
• Cross streets at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks
• Look left, right and left again when crossing; always walk, don’t run, when crossing streets
• Make eye contact with drivers and watch for cars that are turning or backing up
• Walk on sidewalks or paths; if there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible
• Wear light-colored, flame retardant costumes decorated with retro-reflective tape or stickers
• Wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes to prevent trips and falls
• Carry a flashlight or glow stick to increase visibility to drivers
• Wear face paint and makeup; a mask can restrict a child’s vision
• Only eat treats and candy that are properly wrapped in their original packaging

It is also important that drivers do their part to keep trick-or-treaters safe. Safe Kids recommends that drivers:

• Be especially alert in residential neighborhoods
• Drive more slowly and anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic on and near the road
• Be sure to drive with full headlights on they can spot children from greater distances
• Take extra time to actively look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs
• Remember that costumes can limit children’s visibility and they may not be able to see a moving vehicle
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully
• Remember that children are excited on this night and may move in unpredictable ways
• Remember that popular trick or treating hours are during the typical rush hour period, between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m.
• Reduce distraction inside their car so they can concentrate on the road and on pedestrians

   

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year and many kids may be out late trick-or-treating while it is dark. This makes it harder for drivers to see them.  Whether you are a driver or a parent, you can do your part to keep kids out of the emergency department on Halloween.

Five Safety Tips:

1- Cross the street safetly at corners.

2- Walk on sidewalks or paths.

3- Slow down and stay alert.  Always watch for cars and never dart into the street.

4- Be sure that children under age 12 are with an adult.

5- Remember that costumes can be both creative AND safe.  Masks should not obstruct vision.

So, carry a flashlight or glow stick and have a Fun and Safe Halloween!