Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween is tomorrow night, October 31st, and although most of these safety tips are common sense, it's still a good idea to review them before Halloween.

Number 1 rule is to have your kids bring home the candy so you as a parent can inspect it, and get first dibs on the candy you like :)

Trick-or-Treaters:

• Carry a flashlight
• Walk, don't run
• Stay on sidewalks
• Obey traffic signals
• Stay in familiar neighborhoods
• Don't cut across yards or driveways
• Wear a watch you can read in the dark
• Make sure costumes don't drag on the ground
• Shoes should fit (even if they don't go with your costume)
• Avoid wearing masks while walking from house to house
• Carry only flexible knives, swords or other props
• (If no sidewalk) walk on the left side of the road facing traffic
• Wear clothing with reflective markings or tape
• Approach only houses that are lit
• Stay away from and don't pet animals you don't know

 Parents:

• Make your child eat dinner before setting out
• Children should carry cell phones so they can call home
• Ideally, young children of any age should be accompanied by an adult
• If your children go on their own, be sure they wear a watch, preferably one that can be read in the dark
• If you buy a costume, look for one made of flame-retardant material
• Older children should know where to reach you and when to be home
• You should know where they're going
• Although tampering is rare, tell children to bring the candy home to be inspected before consuming anything
• Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect

Homeowners:

• Make sure your yard is clear of such things as ladders, hoses, dog leashes and flower pots that can trip the young ones
• Pets get frightened on Halloween. Put them up to protect them from cars or inadvertently bitting a trick-or-treater
• Battery powered jack o'lantern candles are preferable to a real flame