Halloween Safety Tips

Safety Tips for Motorists
All motorists need to be especially alert and cautious when driving on Halloween because of
the high number of pedestrians walking the streets.

• Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
• At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.
• Never use your cell phone while driving.
• Discourage teens from driving on Halloween. There are too many hazards and distractions for inexperienced drivers.

Trick-or-Treating
Most importantly, all children under the age of 12 should be accompanied by a parent or
responsible adult, but before trick-or-treating, parents should:

• Instruct your children to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and avoid trick-or-treating alone.
• Tell your children not to eat any treats until they return home.
• Teach your children to never enter a stranger’s home.
• Agree on a specific time for your children to come home.
• Give your children flashlights with fresh batteries to help them see and for others to see them.
• Make sure your child or a responsible adult with them carries a cell phone for quick communication.
• Review all appropriate pedestrian and traffic safety rules with your children.
• Look both ways before crossing the street and use established crosswalks whenever possible.
• Walk, do not run, from house to house. 
• Do not cross yards and lawns where unseen objects or the uneven terrain can present tripping hazards and never walk near lit candles or luminaries.
• Walk on sidewalks, not in the street. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the far edge of the road facing traffic.
• Children will be anxious to stuff themselves with treats, but parents need to take these necessary precautions first:
• Insist that treats be brought home for inspection before anything is eaten, then examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before your children eat them.
• Give children an early meal before going out to prevent them from filling up on 
• Halloween treats or eating anything before you can inspect it.
• Only let your children eat factory-wrapped treats. Avoid homemade treats unless you know the cook well.
• When in doubt, throw it out.