Halloween Night Safety Steps Help Reduce Risks for Trick-or-Treaters

As families nationwide prepare to send their children out for Halloween night trick-or-treating, consumer safety groups are urging that parents and caregivers take steps to help avoid many of the injuries that occur each year, often when children are crossing streets or racing between houses.

Safe Kids Worldwide released a series of Halloween night safety tips for parents and children, which are designed to reduce the risk of serious and potentially fatal injuries.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), children under the age of 13 years old are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year.

Researchers indicate that in Fall 2015, about 6,700 pedestrian deaths and roughly 160,000 medically consulted injuries occurred among pedestrians in motor vehicle accidents. The agency reported 15 percent of those fatalities involved children between the ages of five and nine years old, while 10 to 15 year-olds accounted for seven percent of pedestrian involved motor vehicle fatalities.

As a safety precaution, Safe Kids Worldwide is encouraging parents and guardians to follow a series of safety tips to prevent pedestrian injuries during Halloween day that includes decorating costumes and candy bags with reflective tape or stickers, and if possible, choose light or bright colored costume colors that can be easily seen at night time.

Since the most popular time for trick-or-treating for children is between the hours of 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. Children believed to be mature enough without supervision should be instructed to stick to familiar areas that are well lit and to trick-or-treat in groups.

Behaviors such as running across streets to different neighboring houses can be extremely dangerous and children should always be accompanied by an adult across a crosswalk when available.

Safe Kids Worldwide is suggesting that parents and guardians avoid allowing their children to use costumes with masks, as these can tend to sometimes obstruct a child’s vision and increase the risk of a fall injury, or not allow them to see oncoming traffic. If children are using masks, parents should make sure the eye and breathing holes are large enough for adequate vision and breathing.

Selecting the right costume size and length can also help mitigate fall injuries. As children are walking neighborhoods and climbing front porches with steps throughout the evening, it is important the costumes never exceed a low enough level to create a trip hazard.

Parents and guardians are also being encouraged to check the candy, snacks and toys that are given out on Halloween night prior to consumption. Any consumable products that has a tampered or damaged wrapper should not be consumed and discarded. Parents and guardians should always check to make sure any small toys given to young children are inspected to ensure there are not small pieces that could cause an airway blockage or choking hazard.