A few tips for staying safe for Halloween

As the leaves fall to the ground and the nights get cooler many children shiver in anticipation as candy and pumpkins hit the shelves of grocery store across the region.

As October nears its end, it can only mean one thing, Halloween, a night of ghosts and ghouls and sugar highs.

A day waited for; spending long nights dreaming of next year’s Halloween costume, and the candy they hope to drag out until they can stock up again.

But Halloween has always had one flaw, a flaw not likely to solve itself. This is where the public needs to step up and keep an eye open as well.

A fun and exciting time of year, many children look forward at the next house, not caring what gets in their way.

It is on nights like this that fatalities happen, as no vehicle can stop on a dime.

Children are taught the dangers of Halloween, from not taking candy from strangers (other than at houses of course), to not eating home baked goods in case of foreign obstacles, and to cross the road safely, but this still doesn’t stop accidents from happening.

But it is not just the duty of the driver, but of the parent as well, with the protection of their child a top priority.

All costumes should be bright and/or reflective, and in order to ensure safety should be short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement, or contact with a flame. An easy tip to increase reflectiveness to a dark costume is to add reflective tape or striping to the costume and the trick-or-treat bag.

With many masked monsters roaming the streets as well, it is best to make sure the eyeholes are large enough, with no possible block in vision. Although make up and decorative hats are always best, of course the werewolf costume is always a must for some little boy. If you can’t beat them, join them, and make sure the mask they insist on wearing is safe for them to wear.

With many of the rural children sticking to their own hamlets, visibility is that much more important with a shortage of street lamps lighting up each house.

Carrying flashlights add another level of visibility, and it is recommended that all children have access to a phone in case of an emergency.

As for those of you who plan to do the handing out of candy on Halloween night, it is important, as well, that your home is safe for those witches and wizards that come to your door.

Make sure to remove anything that could trip up a tiny child, such as garden hoses, toys, bikes, and lawn decorations. All lights should be checked as well, once again; bringing things back full circle to visibility.

Leaves, and snow, should also be cleared from the path, while unruly pets should be locked away to prevent accidents or escapes from happening. Halloween is a great time of year for many a tiny child, and for many adults as well, but sometimes in our fun we forget to be careful.

No one wants to see tears on Halloween night. Please stay safe on Halloween night, and may the weather be with you. Canadian Halloween weather can be pretty hard to predict.

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