Kids love the magic of Halloween: trick-or-treating, classroom parties and trips to a neighborhood haunted house. But, for moms and dads, often there is a fine line between Halloween fun and safety concerns, especially when it comes to road and pedestrian safety. Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year, and October ranks No. 2 in motor vehicle deaths by month, with 3,550. To help ensure adults and children have a safe holiday, the American Academy of Pediatrics has compiled a list of Halloween safety tips, including do's and don'ts:
- A responsible adult should accompany young children
- If your older children are going alone, plan and review a route acceptable to you
- Agree on a specific time children should return home
- Teach your children to never enter a stranger's home or car
- Instruct children to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and stick with their friends
- Tell your children not to eat any treats until they return home
- All costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant
- Avoid masks, which can obstruct vision
- If children are allowed out after dark, fasten reflective tape to their costumes and bags, or give them glow sticks
- When buying Halloween makeup, make sure it is nontoxic and always test it in a small area first
- Remove all makeup before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation
- Children and adults are reminded to put electronic devices down, keep heads up and walk, don't run, across the street
For more information, visit the National Safety Council website's www.nsc.org.