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Halloween should be a time for spooky fun, not a scary trip to the emergency room. While tainted treats and child snatchers may be the biggest Halloween fears of many parents, it's actually falls and car accidents that cause the most Halloween injuries.
Help prevent children from getting injured at Halloween by following these safety tips:
- Supervise trick-or-treating for children under age 12.
- Establish a route and return time for older children and send them in a small group of friends with flashlights, a watch and cell phone.
- Only go to well-lit houses and have children remain on porches rather than entering houses.
- Cross streets at the corner, use crosswalks where they exist, and do not cross between parked cars.
- Look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.
- Stop at all corners and stay together in a group before crossing.
- Trick-or-treat on one side of the street and then the other instead of zig-zagging down the block.
- Stay on sidewalks to avoid tripping over plants, rocks and sprinklers.
- Guide small children up and down stairs.
- Dress children in costumes that are bright, reflective, and flame retardant.
- Use face paint instead of masks and avoid large or loose hats that can obscure vision.
- Avoid long, baggy or loose costumes, or oversized shoes to prevent tripping.
- Use costume knives and swords that are flexible, not rigid or sharp.
- Carry a cell phone for emergency telephone calls.
- Bring treats home and inspect them prior to consumption. Feeding children dinner before trick-or-treating will help them avoid snacking from their treat bag along the way.
- If driving, drive slowly and exit driveways and alleyways carefully.
- Watch for children in the street and on medians.
- Have children get out of cars on the curb side, not on the traffic side.
- Prepare your home for trick-or-treaters by clearing porches, lawns, and sidewalks and placing jack-o-lanterns away from doorways and landings.
- Place lighted pumpkins away from curtains and other flammable objects, and do not leave lit pumpkins unattended.