Halloween is the one night when a child can become anyone or anything he/she fancy—it’s a haunting yet magical evening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated 40 million kids between the ages of 5 and 14 went trick-or-treating in 2011. There were tricks and treats, but also accidents, many of which could have been prevented.
The CDC experts say children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween night than any other night of the year, and AAA calls Halloween the deadliest night for pedestrians.
Let’s make 2012 safer! Here are some tips to share with your families to help keep their kids as safe as possible.
Street Safety
- Set up a trick-or-treat route. If children are going out without an adult, make sure they know the route they are to take and the dangers of straying. Enforce NO SHORTCUTS. It’s also a good idea to have checkpoints along the way where they are to call in or text.
- Have an emergency plan! If something does happen unexpected—bullying, car accident, injury from a fall, etc.—having a thought out plan that has been rehearsed can save precious seconds that matter. If children are going out without supervision, make sure everyone in the group understands the plan and knows their role.
- If children are going out without an adult, know everyone in the group they are with and have their contact information. At least one person in the group should carry a flashlight. Check the batteries before they leave the house!
- Remind children to stay on the sidewalk. If there are no sidewalks, remind them to stop at the bottom of each driveway and walk facing traffic so they can see approaching cars.
- Have children always cross the street at the corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
- Discourage mischief.
- Remind children not to eat snacks before they get home and an adult has had a chance to look through all the candy they’ve collected.
Costume Safety
- Drivers can’t see dark costumes and masks can limit eyesight—preventing children from seeing oncoming danger. Going out in groups helps limit road risks. However, adding reflective material (stickers, tape, glow sticks, etc.) to costumes helps drivers see kids better on dark streets, potentially limiting accidents.
- If you can avoid wearing a mask, avoid it. Masks can obstruct vision whereas make up or face paint doesn’t. Look for reflective face paint.
- Don’t include sharp objects as part of your child’s costume—swords, staffs, pitchforks, etc.
- Avoid costumes that drag on the ground or that can become easily tangled in brush or other landscaping.
Additional ISM resources of interest
Private School News Vol. 8 No. 10 Fun Pumpkin Facts to Share With Students
ISM Monthly Update for Business Managers Vol. 11 No. 2 Green Corner: Green Halloween
