Thursday, October 29, 2009

Top Ten Tips for Safe Trick-Or-Treating this Halloween

The Halloween tips below was found on http://www.usa.safekids.org/ - this is a very good site to check frequently for Kid Safety information.

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and many kids will be out late trick-or-treating while it is dark – making it harder for drivers to see them. Whether you are a driver or a parent, you can do your part to help kids stay out of the emergency room on Halloween.

Top five safety tips for children walking on Halloween:

- Cross the street safely at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. Walk, don’t run, across the street.

- Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.

- Slow down and stay alert – watch out for cars that are turning or backing up and never dart out into the street or cross in between parked cars.

- Young children should trick or treat with an adult. Children younger than age 12 should not cross streets at night without an adult. If older kids are mature enough to go trick-or-treating without adult supervision, parents should make sure they go in a group and stick to a predetermined route with good lighting.

- Costumes can be both creative and safe. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. Masks can obstruct a child’s vision, so choose non-toxic face paint and make-up whenever possible instead. Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights in order to see better, as well as be seen by drivers.

Top five safety tips for drivers on Halloween:

- Slow down in residential neighborhoods and school zones. Remember that popular trick-or-treating hours are during 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Be especially alert and take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.

- Slowly and carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.

- Reduce any distractions inside your car, such as talking on the phone or eating, so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.

- Drive with your full headlights on so you can spot children from greater distances. Remember that costumes can limit children’s visibility and they may not be able to see your vehicle.

- In preparation for Halloween, 150 local Safe Kids coalitions across the country will team up with Walk This Way program sponsor FedEx to provide kids with reflective materials to promote visibility, including trick-or-treat bags and zipper tags that can be attached to costumes, as well as important safety information for children, parents, and drivers.

For more tips on how to help kids become safer pedestrians on Halloween, as well as throughout the year, visit our Halloween page.

http://www.usa.safekids.org/tier3_cd.cfm?folder_id=301&content_item_id=26431

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