Mother’s Complete Guide to Halloween Safety

The Most Dangerous Part of Halloween

The likelihood of your child being struck by a car or killed in a car/pedestrian collision quadruples on Halloween. Deaths and injuries by fire also jump from October 30 to November 1st.

We’ll talk about food safety and looking out for strangers, but it’s often the more common hazards that sneak in and do the most harm. Let’s begin by considering the hard data (see the chart).

Many times, parents will warn their children about checking their candy and being cautious around strangers, but fail to emphasize the special dangers Halloween presents to people on foot.

Here’s a list of tips and cautions every parent should review with their children and every trick-or-treater should be quick to observe. Child safety is serious business.

Mother’s Street-Savvy Safety Talk with the Children

1. Use the Crosswalk

   Since 70% of Halloween pedestrian accidents occur outside of a crosswalk or crossing intersection, you’ll avoid much of the risk by crossing only in designated places. Use your street-crossing skills by looking left, right, then back to the left before stepping into the roadway.

2. Put Your Phone Away

   If ever there was a poor time to be out for a walk with your eyes focused on a smartphone screen, Halloween is it. Be hyper-vigilant, avoid distractions of all kinds, and be aware of your surroundings. Stay safe!

3. Plan Your Route

   Not only can you get to more houses and better-stocked houses by planning ahead, you can avoid areas where the sidewalks are in poor condition or non-existent, you can choose well-lit areas, you can minimize street crossings, you can avoid crossing or walking near railroad tracks, and you won’t have to worry about getting disoriented, then ending up in an area that’s spooky even when it isn’t Halloween.

4. Make Eye Contact with Drivers

   Never assume the person driving that 2-ton machine sees you and is yielding the right-of-way to you. Look squarely at the person behind the wheel. You should see them looking back at you and maybe even motioning you to go ahead and cross. Never assume a car is stopping for you. Many won’t. They expect you to stop for them.

5. Walk, Don’t Run

   It’s easy to get carried away with all the Halloween fun and start chasing one another down the street. Many pedestrian accidents on Halloween occur because a child darted out into the road from between parked cars. Even if your friends start acting wild, you don’t have to go along with them. Smart kids stay vigilant and get home safely.

6. When Running IS Appropriate

   Should a driver stop and ask you to get in the car or someone on the street try to get you to go somewhere with them, that’s the time to run. Use the “No, Go, Yell, Tell” technique: Yell “NO!” and run away to a safe place (maybe to the friendly house you just left). Keep yelling as you run, and tell an adult immediately.

Mother’s Special Advice: Hang with People You Can Count On

Depending on the ages of your children and your own schedule for the evening, you may not be accompanying them on the street. Kids often don’t want parents along anyway, but there should be sufficient mature leadership in the group. Older siblings often fit the bill and are already accustomed to looking out for the younger ones.

If you’re not going to be present, it’s even more critical for you to go over the information in this guide with your children and with those who will be leading them on the adventure.

1. Use the Buddy System

   The larger the group, the easier it is for someone to end up missing. Maybe a youngster waited at the door for the resident to go get more candy, while the rest of the group headed on down the steps to the next house. It’s all too easy for a child to panic and head the wrong direction, giving everyone a huge scare.

   With the buddy system, each of the younger children (parents know who needs special attention) is being watched and guarded by someone mature enough to handle the responsibility. “No child left behind” is an excellent motto for Halloween.

2. Stay in Contact

   Each of the leaders of the group should have a cell phone or walkie-talkie for intergroup communications. Messages may be as simple as “Hey, the yellow house is out of candy,” to “Look out for those kids that just passed us. I saw one of them throw a water balloon,” but staying in touch keeps larger groups more cohesive and better able to respond to any adverse situations.

   Larger groups can split into smaller units. The one thing that identifies the group is that every member is sticking to the same route and all are looking out for one another.

3. Don’t Jump Off the Cliff

   If someone in the group suggests something squirrely – like throwing eggs or vandalizing a fence – the leaders should shoot the idea down quickly. Since group members normally want to be accepted by their peers, one bad idea can send a whole bunch of teenagers headed down a dangerous path.

   That’s why the parents’ choice of leadership is essential. And don’t think age is always synonymous with maturity. Adults can do dumb things too.

Mother’s Tips on Getting Ready for Halloween

We’ve covered the basics of being careful on the street. Let’s backtrack a bit and consider Halloween preparation at home.

Halloween begins with costume selection and decorations. Let’s talk about costumes and makeup first.

Preparing Your Own Home for Halloween

Some people go for Halloween decorations in a big way, and others don’t. Most homes, though, will participate in giving out candy and enjoying the little faces at the door.

In a way, though, if you live in a neighborhood, you can’t help but take part in Halloween. At the very least, there’s liable to be a whole lot of foot traffic going by your house. Some will come to the door whether you’ve left the porch light on or not. At a minimum, then, you should make sure all tripping hazards are removed or wrapped in reflective tape or otherwise highlighted.

Other safety tips are to use battery-powered pumpkin lights instead of wax candles, place pumpkins and other props on sturdy tables instead of setting them on the ground where little feet can get tangled, make sure all decorations are fire resistant and kept away from flames, make sure your porch and pathway lights are working and sufficiently bright, keep your pets away from the kids, and keep the candy bowl by the door.

Checking the Halloween Candy and Additional Tips

Yes, you should be cautious about what you allow your kids to eat. Despite folklore to the contrary, though, you’re probably not going to find apples with razor blades in them.

Toss out any treats that appear to have been opened or otherwise tampered with, and get rid of any with faded wrappers that look like they’ve been in the closet for years.

The bigger food danger is for those who have food allergies. You may be used to a certain brand of candy being fine for you to eat in the regular size, but the mini sizes often come from a different facility and may contain different ingredients. If your child has a severe allergy, make sure of what’s in the candy before you allow them to eat it.

Choking is also a concern. Young ones may be gobbling the goods too quickly, then try to swallow a toy pulled from the sack. Sort for size and type before you let them dig in.

You may want to ration out the bounty over the next few weeks, rather than letting the kids eat as much as they’d like. If you don’t put some limits on the feast, you may be up in the middle of the night cleaning up vomit and replacing the bed covers. Just saying.