Halloween is coming up, and if you’re interested in making it as safe as possible, it’s a good idea to plan out the night first. There are many things you might not think about that can be immensely beneficial for Halloween night, whether you have young kids, older kids, or you’re going yourself. Here are 25 helpful tips that can keep you and your family safe on Halloween.
Walking Around Trick-or-Treating
The first group of tips is most helpful if you’re trick-or-treating yourself. The best way to keep yourself safe while walking around is to pay attention as much as possible. Kids are about 50% more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to keep yourself and your kids safe.
1. Always cross streets at corners.
2. Obey traffic signals and crosswalks.
3. Put electronic devices down while crossing streets.
4. Never run across the street.
5. Make eye contact with drivers before crossing.
6. Walk facing traffic on the left side of the road.
7. Never cross between parked cars.
8. Don’t eat candy until you get home to avoid distractions.
For the most part, these are common-sense safety tips that you just have to turn up to 11. As long as you’re actively thinking about it, chances are that you’ll stay safe.
Building Costumes
It’s a good idea to build costumes with safety in mind. If a child’s costume is mostly made of black fabric and they have no other indications for drivers, their chances of getting hit by a car go up dramatically. Here are a few things that can make it easier for your child to be visible.
9. Decorate with reflective tape and stickers.
10. Choose light colors over dark colors.
11. Add something to extra-dark costumes to identify children.
12. Have kids carry glow sticks.
13. Choose face paint over masks if possible.
14. Make sure the costume is the right size.
While adding reflective tape and stickers can be a great way to make kids more obvious to drivers, this can be upsetting to older kids, who might want to make their costumes as accurate as possible. That’s where the other tips can come into play.
Sending Kids Out To Have Fun
If you have kids that are going out to have fun, there are a few things you can do to make it safer for them to go out on their own. Here are a few things that can make it safer for your child to go out on Halloween night, regardless of what they’re dressed as.
15. Accompany children under 12 years of age.
16. Create a trick-or-treating route.
17. Agree on a specific time to return home.
18. Remind children not to enter strangers’ homes or cars.
19. Never send kids out completely by themselves.
Kids over 12 are often able to go trick-or-treating by themselves, but it’s not a good idea for them to go out completely by themselves. Instead, see whether your child can go with other children; traveling together can make them much safer. The address search from PeopleFinders can help you check on the people who live in your neighborhood, so you can send your child out without feeling concerned for their safety.
Driving Around on Halloween Night
What if you need to drive around on Halloween night? It’s important that you do your part to keep children safe if you’re driving on Halloween night. Here are a few ways you can avoid hurting anyone when you drive around on October 31.
20. Watch more carefully for children.
21. Turn your headlights on earlier in the day.
22. Pay close attention 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
23. Be extra careful about distractions in your car.
24. Enter and exit driveways and alleyways more carefully.
25. Be especially alert in residential neighborhoods.
It’s important that you do your part to keep kids safe just like kids can keep themselves safe. With these tips, you’ll be able to keep the kids around you safe more easily.
Conclusion
Although it’s generally safe for kids to be out on Halloween, it’s true that it’s generally a bit more dangerous than other nights. However, there are a number of things that can make it even safer. Do your part, whether you’re a parent or a driver, and use PeopleFinders to keep you and your children safe all night.
Image Attribution: Karen Roach – stock.adobe.com
