Halloween can be a dangerous night for kids out trick-or-treating, so we have a few safety tips for you and your little goblins and witches!
Halloween is a favorite fall holiday for kids of all ages: who doesn’t love carving pumpkins and eating candy? Trick-or-treating can be a really fun few hours for kids to run around gathering treats with their friends, but amidst all of the candy-fueled excitement, it’s important to think about ways to increase pedestrian safety.
Unfortunately, Halloween typically sees a fourfold increase in the number of children killed as pedestrians by motor vehicles than on any other day, so it’s crucially important to talk to your kids about how to trick-or-treat safely. They should know to only cross intersections at crosswalks, use sidewalks whenever they are available, and be aware of any cars around them. If they are walking in a neighborhood without sidewalks, the safest way to walk is against traffic, as far to the side as possible. Walkers should never assume that a motorist sees them, so it’s a good idea to make eye contact with any driver before crossing in front of them, even if you are in a crosswalk.
Reflective material on costumes can increase a child’s visibility to drivers and decrease the chance of an accident. If the costume didn’t come with any reflective material on it, reflective tape is available in many craft stores and is a simple way to decorate your kid’s Halloween outfit and candy bag in a way that will make them more easily seen by cars. Glow Sticks or flashlights are another great, fun way to increase your child’s visibility while they are out knocking on doors. And, if a mask is part of the costume, be sure that your trick-or-treater can easily see while wearing it!
Aside from the every-Halloween concerns about trick-or-treater safety, this year we all still need to be thinking about Covid safety, too. Remember, outdoor activities are more Covid-safe than indoor ones, so plan any Halloween parties for outside! Make the goodies you hand out safer, too, by individually bagging the treats and setting them out on a table for kids to grab. That way no one is touching more than the candy they are taking, and there isn’t any face-to-face time at the front door.
Whatever your plans are this Halloween, all of us here at Burnett & Williams wish you a safe and fun day. We also hope that there’s a generous trick-or-treater in your life who will share their goodies with you!