On Halloween, everyone loves a good scare, but not when it comes to child safety. In order to reduce kids’ risk of injury, parents can share several simple and effective tips with them. There is a greater risk of children being hit by a car on Halloween than on any other day of the year.
Make sure an adult is always with you when trick-or-treating
Children under the age of 12 should never be left alone at night without adult supervision. When your children are mature enough to be out without supervision, remind them to stay on familiar routes and to be safe.
Make sure you walk safely
- Use traffic signals and crossings to cross the street at corners
- When crossing, look left, right, and left again.
- You should put down your electronic devices and keep your head up as you walk, not run, across the street
- When crossing in front of a driver, teach children to make eye contact.
- It is always a good idea to walk on pavements or paths.
- You should walk as far to the left as possible if there are no pavements. Direct paths are best for children’s routes with the fewest street crossings.
- Keep an eye out for cars turning or backing up. Children should never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
Keep costumes safe
- If you buy costumes, make sure they have a CE mark on the label.
- Remember that homemade fancy dress costumes or those not tested to the same flammability standards may ignite easily and burn faster
- Keep Halloween and fancy dress outfits away from fire, lit candles, and other naked flames as with all clothing
- When possible, use flameless candles. If lit candles are part of your celebration, follow their safety guidelines and remember
- When using lit candles, always supervise children and pet
- Children should not be allowed to carry, play with, reach over, light or be near lit candles
- Keep an eye on a burning candle at all times
- After using a candle, make sure it is completely extinguisheHalloween candles should be handled with care.
- Consider using battery-operated candles instead of lit pumpkins
- If possible, decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers.
- Whenever possible, use face paint and makeup instead of masks, which can irritate the skin and obstruct a child’s vision, especially when crossing the road.
- You can help children and adults see and be seen by drivers by carrying glow sticks or torches.
- To avoid tripping and falling, choose the right size for your costume.
- Make sure all costumes are safe and won’t catch light from candles.
Halloween is a time to drive extra safely
- In residential neighbourhoods, slow down and be especially alert. It is common for children to move in unpredictable ways on Halloween due to their excitement.
- Watch out for children at junctions, mini roundabouts, and curbs.
- Driveways and alleys should be entered and exited slowly and carefully.
- Concentrate on the road and your surroundings by eliminating any distractions inside your car.
- To spot children from a greater distance, drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic, and turn your headlights on earlier in the day.
- Trick-or-treating is most popular between 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 PM so watch out for children during those hours.
