Tips for a Safe Halloween

As Halloween night lurks ever closer, you can take some simple steps to stay safe and avoid scares as you go trick-or-treating or ghost hunting!

Tips for costumes

• Wear costumes made from flame-resistant fabrics such as polyester or nylon (check the label).
• Wear bright colored costumes or add some flare with reflective tape or glowsticks to be seen by drivers, cyclists, and other pedestrians.
• Make sure costumes are short enough that you won’t step on the end and risk tripping.
• Costume masks can block your line of vision. Wearing makeup or a hat that does not cover your eyes is a safer option.
• Check the makeup you plan to wear for allergic reactions and FDA-approved color additives. Put some on the arm of the person who will be wearing it to see if it causes redness, swelling, or other irritation. If the additives aren’t approved, don’t use them, especially not around the eyes.
• Don’t wear decorative (colored) contact lenses unless you have seen an eye care professional for a fitting and instructions. These can cause eye injury and even blindness.

Tips for treats

• Don’t eat candy before inspecting it at home. Eat a snack before heading out to prevent snacking on unchecked treats.
• Check the ingredients list of treats for known allergens and do not eat anything that isn’t commercially wrapped.
• Check treat wrappers for signs of tampering like an unusual appearance or discoloration, and tiny pinholes or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.
• Remove choking hazards like gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys from the treat bags of young children.

Walking tips

• A responsible adult should accompany young children while trick-or-treating. If older children are going alone, plan a safe neighborhood route with them.
• Agree on a time children should return home, and make sure they have a way to contact you if they need help.
• Teach children to stay with their friends and to never enter a stranger's home or car.
• Try to stay on well-lit sidewalks and take a flashlight with you to help you navigate dark areas.
• Keep your eyes up, not on your phone, and look both ways before crossing the street.

Driving tips

• Slow down and scan your environment for people on foot, bicycles, and wheelchairs. Stop and stay stopped for pedestrians as they cross the street.
• Watch for people in wheelchairs and children on roadways, medians, and curbs. They will be lower to the ground, and it will be harder to see them behind cars, bushes, or low walls.
• Enter and exit driveways carefully, go slowly and look in both directions behind you.
• Discourage new, inexperienced drivers from driving on Halloween.
• When driving, leave enough space between you and the vehicle ahead so you have time to react and stop when needed.