Halloween Safety Tips -- Car Accidents & Mishaps

COSTA MESA, Calif. - Oct. 31, 2019 - PRLog -- Street Safety Tips for Kids:
• Always add lights and reflectors to your children's Halloween costumes, to make them all that much more visible.
• Tell your children to only cross at crosswalks and to stay on sidewalks. Tell them to only trick-or-treat at homes they are familiar with and to avoid streets that are not well-lit.
• Be a chaperone or be in good communication with the chaperone, who should be fully aware of the dangers of children getting hit by cars on Halloween.
• Tell children to be especially wary of SUVs and other vehicles that are high off the ground because their visibility is compromised to drivers of such vehicles.
• Teach your children never to cross from between parked cars, only the crosswalk, especially on Halloween.
• Tell children not to eat any candy until they're home and you've inspected the treats thoroughly.

Halloween Costume Safety for Kids
• Make sure your child's costume is not full of sharp edges, in case they fall. Fake knives and swords should be flexible and not likely to cause injury.
• Make sure face paints and glitter are all non-toxic.
• Make sure your children can see properly out of their masks, especially when it gets dark.
• Only buy "flame retardant" costumes. Otherwise, wigs and wings could catch fire very easily.
• If your child is wearing a cape, have it hemmed so it doesn't cause a trip-and-fall accident.
• Give your children small flashlights and tell them how to contact you if there's trouble.

Halloween Driving Safety Tips
• Turn on your headlights. They will make you more visible, even from a distance. Make sure not to turn on your brights, as this may have a blinding effect on pedestrians.
• Stay alert. Pay special attention to your entire surroundings. Don't text (not even at a light) and don't turn up the music too loud. You'll want to hear if there are children near or around your car, where they may not be easily visible.
• Drive slowly. Go slower than the posted speed limit because people will be darting out of nowhere. The slower you drive the better you'll be able to react if a child appears when you least expect it. Be especially careful at crosswalks.
• Don't pass a stopped vehicle. If you must, do it very hesitantly and slowly because children may be coming out of the car or running into it without paying much attention to what you're doing.
• Be especially careful when backing up at any point on Halloween. Children are especially difficult to see behind a car unless you have a rearview camera.