9 Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips for Halloween

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more child pedestrians are killed while walking on Halloween than any other day of the year.

But families can take the fright out of Halloween trick-or-treating this year by following safety tips from Jennifer Rubin, coordinator of the Safe Kids Greater Sacramento Coalition and injury prevention specialist at UC Davis Health.

Pedestrian Safety Tips:

• Carry glow sticks or flashlights, attach reflective tape or stickers to costumes or bags, and wear bright colors to help children be seen.
• Accompany children under 12 years old trick-or-treating.
• Choose properly sized costumes to prevent trips and falls (avoid long hanging fabrics) and choose face paint over masks (which can limit children’s vision).
• Remind children that it is safer to cross the street at corners and crosswalks.
• Stay alert, drivers! Children are excited and may run into the street.

Fire safety tips:

• Teach your children to stay away from open flames, including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them.
• Keep Halloween decorations away from open flames and other heat sources such as light bulbs and radiators. Dried flowers, corn stalks and crepe paper easily catch fire.
• Free exits from decorations so that nothing blocks the escape routes.
• Make sure all smoke detectors are working.

“Long before you let them go trick-or-treating, talk to your children about being aware of fire safety risks and cars on the road. “Teach your children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street, using crosswalks when possible,” Rubin said. “Drivers, please be extra careful when driving on Halloween night. Let’s all Doing our part to keep children safe this Halloween.”