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HALLOWEEN SAFETY The leading injury risks for children at Halloween time are pedestrian injuries, falls and burns. The Minnesota Safety Council and Safe Kids Minnesota ask parents and caregivers to think about the following tips, which can help ensure that your little ghosts and goblins return safely from trick-or-treating.
VISIBILITYMake children more visible to drivers by attaching retro-reflective tape, fabric, or decorative patches (available at fabric stores) to costumes and trick-or-treat bags. White or light-colored costumes may be somewhat more visible at close range, but only retro-reflective materials are considered highly visible in low light.Give trick-or-treaters flashlights to help light their way.
TRAFFICReminders for children:
Walk, don't run, while trick-or-treating. | Stop at all corners.
Cross streets only at intersections and crosswalks.
Look left-right-left again before crossing. Don't cross if a car is coming.
Never run into the street from between parked cars.
An adult or older sibling should walk with children under age 12.
Reminders for motorists
Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals.
Remember that Minnesota law requires drivers to come to a complete stop for pedestrians in a marked crosswalk, or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk, where there are no traffic control signals in place. The driver must remain stopped until the pedestrian has completely passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped.
Watch for children walking in the street or on medians and curbs.
Enter and exit driveways and alleyways carefully.
Teach children to get in and out of the car on the curb side, away from the traffic.
FALLSApply face paint or cosmetics directly to the face. If a mask is worn, be certain it fits securely. Cut larger eye holes if necessary.Make costumes short enough to avoid tripping.
Secure hats so they will not slip over children's eyes. Dress children in shoes that fit. Adult shoes are not safe for trick-or-treaters. The larger size makes it easier for them to trip and fall.
Children should carry only softer, flexible knives, swords or other props. Anything they carry could injure them if they fall.
Teach children not to cut across yards. Lawn ornaments and clotheslines are hidden hazards in the dark. Tell your children to stay on the sidewalk at all times.
BURNSLook for "flame resistant" labels on costumes, masks, beards and wigs.
Use fire resistant materials when making costumes.
Avoid costumes made of flimsy material and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts. These are more likely to come in contact with an exposed flame, such as a candle, than tighter fitting costumes.
Keep candles, pumpkins with candles, matches and lighters out of children's reach.
PERSONAL SAFETYAn adult or older sibling should walk with children under age 12.
Decide with your children where they will go. Keep them in your neighborhood or going only to homes of people you know. Set a specific time by which children should be home.
Children should stop only if houses or apartments are well-lit.
Tell children never to enter a home or an apartment building unless they are with an adult.
Remind kids not to eat any of their treats until parents have had a chance to check them.
VISIBILITY Q & AIf my child wears a white sheet for a ghost costume, won't drivers be able to see him all right?
Actually, the only way that pedestrians can be sure drivers will see them is by wearing retro-reflective materials or walking with a flashlight. Wearing white may make your child somewhat more visible to a driver at close range, but by then, it may be too late to avoid a collision.
What does it mean when you say something is "retro-reflective"?
Retro-reflective materials light up brilliantly when struck by the beams of a headlight -- reflecting up to 1500 times more light than white fabric when viewed under nighttime driving conditions.
For more information about preventing injuries to children, contact the Minnesota Safety Council at 651-291-9150 or 1-800-444-9150.
Halloween safety brochure To view this brochure, you need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Halloween folleto de seguridad Para usted mirar esto, usted necesita el libre Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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