Tips for Staying Safe this Halloween Posted on October 29, 2018 By Kevin Borrup, DrPH, JD, MPA is the Associate Director of Connecticut Children’s Injury Prevention Center When you drive home on October 31st, drive more slowly than usual, watch out for kids and adults who may be out and about in places you normally would not expect them to be. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, children are twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than any other day of the year. If your children are going out trick or treating, have them carry a flashlight or a wear a glowstick (glowsticks that can be connected into a necklace are perfect). This will help children to be seen by drivers. Brighter costumes are best. Consider having your kids wear face paint instead of a mask. Masks obscure vision and contribute to the risk of a fall which is still a leading cause of injury for children. Let your children know that just because they can see a car, it does not mean that the driver can see them. Have them stay out of the road, walk on sidewalks or on the grass next to the roadway. Kids under 12 should be supervised by an adult chaperone when trick or treating. Older kids should trick or treat as part of a group. Although poisoning from candy is rare, parents should tell their children to let an adult inspect candy before they eat it. If candy is unwrapped or something doesn’t look right, throw away the candy. For more Halloween tips, download this Halloween safety tip sheet from SafeKids.org. Learn more about Connecticut Children’s Injury Prevention Center
