Halloween Safety Advice

Trick-0r-treating for several Armstrong County municipalities will take place tomorrow evening, and a regional hospital wants to make sure children are safe as the go door-to-door looking for treats.

Every Halloween, vehicles pose one of the greatest dangers, so the Injury Prevention team at Children’s Hospital urges children to watch out for cars.

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, more than twice as many kids are killed in pedestrian/vehicle incidents from 4 to 10PM on Halloween than on any other day of the year in the same tim eframe. Parents need to supervise young children during trick-or-treating and use safe pedestrian actions themselves as a good example to children.

“We don’t want parents to take their kids on an unexpected trip to the emergency
department on Halloween, so they need to be extremely cautious and teach their
children about pedestrian safety before they go out trick-or-treating,” said Barbara
Gaines, M.D., director, Trauma and Injury Prevention at Children’s Hospital.
“Drivers need to be aware as kids are potentially everywhere, and can dart out
between parked cars or at the end of a driveway unexpectedly. The best choice is to just keep the car at home and not drive.”
Another safety hazard during Halloween is costume choice, so parents and kids also should be cautious when choosing a costume. Be sure costumes fit well. If the costume is too long or too big, kids will have trouble maneuvering uneven pavement and steps, and can more easily lose their balance and fall. Also, if
trick-or-treating is in the evening, place reflective tape on costumes or make sure
they are brightly colored, so kids can stay visible. Non-toxic face paint also is a
good alternative to masks, especially for the younger crowd.
Finally, remember the weather. Costumes that are loose enough to allow for layers underneath are usually most successful, especially if the temperature turns
unseasonably warm or cold.

Children’s also offers some additional safety tips for parents during Halloween: Use a flashlight in the evening and walk — don’t run!

Instruct children not to eat any treats until they get home and an adult has checked them.
Make sure the candy is not homemade and also throw out unwrapped treats or anything that looks like it may have been opened or tampered with.

Keep your home well lit for trick-or-treaters.

Clear walkways and pathways around your home.