 Everyone loves a good scare on Halloween, but not when it comes to child safety. There are several easy and effective behaviors that parents can share with kids to help reduce their risk of injury.
Everything you need to know to keep your kids safe on Halloween:
* Cross the street at
corners, using traffic
signals and crosswalks.
* Look left, right and left
again when crossing
and keep looking as you
cross.
* Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and
walk, don't run, across the street.
* Teach children to make eye contact with drivers
before crossing in front of them.
* Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no
sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to
the left as possible. Children should walk on direct
routes with the fewest street crossings.
* Watch for cars that are turning or backing up.
* Teach children to never dart out into the street or
cross between parked cars.
* Trick or Treat With an Adult
* Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at
night without adult supervision. If kids are mature
enough to be out without supervision, remind them
to stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-
treat in groups.
* Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or
stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
* Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible
instead of masks, which can obstruct a child's
vision.
* Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help
them see and be seen by drivers.
* When selecting a costume, make sure it is the
right size to prevent trips and falls.
Drive Extra Safely on Halloween
* Slow down and be especially alert in residential
neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween
and may move in unpredictable ways.
* Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on
medians and on curbs.
* Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and
carefully.
* Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you
can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.
* Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and
turn your headlights on earlier in the day
to spot children from greater distances.
* Popular trick-or-treating hours
are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be
especially alert for kids during
those hours.
On average,
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.
 | 
