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Halloween Safety Tips
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We hope these tips will help you and your family have a safe and happy Halloween.

Tips for: Trick-or-Treaters | Parents | Homeowners | Drivers | Treats | Costumes

Trick-or-Treaters

• A Parent or responsible Adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
  
• Never trick-or-treat alone. Have at least 2 buddies go with you.
  
• Plan your entire route and make sure your family knows what it is.
  
• Carry a flashlight
  
• Walk, don't run.
  
• Stay on Sidewalks
  
• Obey traffic signals
  
• Stay in familiar neighborhoods
  
• Don't cut across yards or driveways.
  
• Wear a watch you can read in the dark.
  
• Avoid wearing masks while walking from house to house.
  
• Carry only flexible knives, swords or other props.
  
• (If no sidewalk) walk on the left side of the road facing traffic
  
• Wear clothing with reflective markings or tape.
  
• Approach only houses that are lit and never enter a stranger's home.
  
• Stay away from and don't pet animals you don't know.
  
• Do not enter homes or apartments without adult supervision.
  
• Accept treats only in the doorway. Never go inside a house.
  
• Take a cellular phone with you if possible.

• Make your child eat dinner before setting out, this will discourage youngsters from filling up on
• Halloween treats.
  
• Children should carry quarters so they can call home or carry a cellular phone.
  
• Ideally, young children of any age should be accompanied by an adult.
  
• If your children go on their own, be sure they wear a watch, preferably one that can be read in the dark.
  
• Older children should know where to reach you and when to be home.
  
• You should know where they're going.
  
• Although tampering is rare, tell children to bring the candy home to be inspected before consuming anything.
  
• Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect.
  
• Review with your children the principle of "Stop-Drop-Roll", should their clothes catch on fire.
  
• Teach children how to call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost.
• Remind them that 9-1-1 can be dialed free at any payphone.

• Make sure your yard is clear of such things as ladders, hoses, dog leashes and flower pots that can trip the young ones.
  
• Pets get frightened on Halloween. Put them up to protect them from cars or inadvertently bitting a trick-or-treater.
  
• Battery powered jack o'lantern candles are preferable to a real flame.
  
• If you do use candles, place the pumpkin well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing.
  
• Make sure paper or cloth yard decorations won't be blown into a flaming candle.
  
• Healthy food alternatives for trick-or-treaters include packages of low-fat crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins and single-serve packets of low-fat popcorn that can be microwaved later.
  
• Non-food treats: plastic rings, pencils, stickers, erasers, coins.

• Go slow, slow, slow all evening. (Adult Halloween partiers should have a designated driver.)
  
• Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.
  
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
  
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
  
• If you are driving children, be sure they exit on the curb side, away from traffic.
  
• Do not wear your mask while driving.
  
• At twilight or later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.

• Give children an early meal before going out.
  
• Insist that treats be brought home for inspection before anything is eaten.
  
• Wash fruit, and slice it into small pieces.
  
• Report to the police anything that appears suspicious about treats.
  
• When in doubt, throw it out.
  
• Try to apportion treats for the days following Halloween.
  
• Although sharing is encouraged, make sure items that can cause choking (such as hard candies), are given only to those of an appropriate age.

• If you buy a costume, look for one made of flame-retardant material.
  
• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective.
  
• Make sure that shoes fit well (even if they don't go with your costume).
  
• Make sure that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
  
• Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags for greater visibility.
  
• Secure emergency identification (name, address, phone number) discreetly within Halloween attire or on a bracelet.
  
• Because masks can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives.
  
• When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories, look for and purchase only those with a label clearly indicating they are flame resistant.