Have a Hazard-Free Halloween
September 18, 2019
When we think of Halloween, we picture children laughing in colorful costumes and buckets and pillowcases brimming with candy and treats. However, experts warn that this fun-filled night can pose safety hazards. Below are tips compiled by the team at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital to help you make Halloween safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Costumes
- Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists. “If the costume is not easily visible at night, add a strip of reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights,” says Kenneth Sharp, DO, LVPG Family Medicine–Lehighton, You can find reflective tape at hardware and sporting goods stores.
- Costumes should be short enough to prevent kids from tripping and falling.
- Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Mother’s high heels are not a good idea for safe walking!
At home
- Leave your front lights on so trick-or-treaters have a well-lit path to your door.
- Place candle-lit jack-o’-lanterns far away from the door, so tiny goblins won’t accidentally brush against them.
- “Make sure your kids eat a healthy meal before trick-or-treating so they’ll be less likely to overindulge on candy,” Sharp says.
On the streets
- Young children should trick-or-treat with an adult or a responsible, older child. Instruct children to stay on the sidewalk and out of the roadway. Remind them to walk, not run, and to go to houses only where they know the people inside.
- To easily see and be seen, children should carry flashlights.
- While driving on Halloween, keep an eye out for youngsters walking between driveways and cars, or crossing in the middle of the block rather than at the corners.