Cassie Mitsch, Senior
Are you or your kids safe on Halloween night? Most people think Halloween a time to dress up and receive free candy, but they dismiss their personal safety on this fun night. Costume safety, safety while trick-or-treating, vehicle safety, and candy safety are the most important things to be aware of while enjoying this exciting evening.
While shopping for a costume, there are some things to be cautious of for the safety of you and others around you. All costumes, wigs, and accessories should be fire-resistant. This will ensure that, if a fire incident were to occur, your fun costume would not put you or others in any risk of getting hurt. Avoid masks because they can obstruct vision, which is vital for making sure you can see your surroundings and be aware of what is happening around you. If children are allowed out after dark, it is recommended to attach reflective tape to their costume or goody bag. You could also give them some glow sticks! Having reflective tape or glow sticks helps the drivers driving at night see the excited children better while they are trick-or-treating. This could lessen the fear of fast drivers not being able to see the trick-or-treaters while they are crossing the road within neighborhoods.
The most dangerous time during Halloween is the actual trick-or-treating. A responsible adult should accompany young children while they are trick-or-treating to ensure the safety of the kids. If an older child is allowed to trick-or-treat by themselves, plan and review a trick-or-treating route that is acceptable to the guardian and also the young adult. This relieves some fear and stress from the guardian because they have an idea of where the child will be having fun and receiving their free candy! One big safety tip is to teach children to never enter a stranger's home or car (especially if they bribe them with candy). It is very important to inform the children about situations like this and give them instructions on what to do in case this does happen. Also, remind children to travel only in familiar, and well-lit areas and to stick with friends.
For the older teenagers and adults driving on Halloween night, there are some safety tips for them too! Be cautious of children walking on roadways, medians, and curbs. The hyper and excited children are going to be all over neighborhoods going from house to house looking for their next candy stop, so be aware of the children crossing the street. Enter and exit alleyways and driveways carefully. This also goes along with the amount of children that will be out on the street that night. During the evening of Halloween, be cautious of children with dark clothing on. These children in dark clothes are less visible and are more of a risk to drivers and also themselves. Last but not least, discourage new, inexperienced drivers from driving on Halloween.
Another important safety concern to lookout for on Halloween is the free candy being given out. A good rule to follow is to not open and eat any candy until you get home and I check it. Some people will put blades, drugs, and other harmful things into the candy they are giving out to the children. So, if you or your child is trick-or-treating make sure to tell them not to open and eat any candy until they return home and you have had the chance to check the candy.
By following these tips, you or your child will be the safest they can be on Halloween night! Have fun trick-or-treating, and don’t eat too much candy!
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