Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which means more trick-or-treaters out later and more cars on the road. The American Red Cross sent around its safety list ahead of Oct. 31, and most of it comes down to being seen and watching the street.
Costumes
Trick-or-treaters need to see and be seen. The Red Cross says to use face makeup instead of masks, add reflective tape to costumes and candy bags, and pick flame-resistant costumes and wigs. Skip long trailing fabric somebody can trip on, and skip decorative contact lenses, which can cause eye problems.
On the street
Walk on sidewalks. Where there aren’t any, walk at the edge of the road facing traffic. Cross at the corner after looking both ways — not between parked cars, not across yards, not down alleys. An adult should go along; children shouldn’t trick-or-treat alone. Carry a flashlight. Be careful around animals, dogs especially. Inspect the candy before anyone eats it: toss loose pieces, opened packages and anything a small child could choke on. When in doubt, throw it out.
Drivers
This is the part worth repeating. The Red Cross cites the Journal of the American Medical Association: children are more than twice as likely to be struck and killed by a vehicle on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Excited kids forget to look both ways, and a lot of costumes are hard to see after dark.
If you’re handing out candy
Keep the porch, walkway and entry lit. Sweep the leaves off the sidewalk and steps. Move anything someone could trip over.
Grown-ups and pets
Alcohol-related traffic incidents go up around Halloween, and many of the holiday’s traffic deaths involve impaired drivers. If you’re hosting, put out non-alcoholic options, line up rides for guests who have been drinking, and take the keys from anyone who shouldn’t drive. If you’re the one planning to drink, settle the ride home before you start.
Pets do better away from the door. Chocolate and some candies are toxic to animals, so keep the bowl out of reach. Halloween noise and traffic send pets running, so make sure yours has ID tags, a secure leash outdoors and a reflective collar after dark.
