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Trick-or-treat safety guide

Tips to teach children
Plan your route and share it with your family. If possible, have an adult go with you.

Walk, slither, and sneak on sidewalks, not in the street. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.

Look both ways before crossing the street to check for cars, trucks and low-flying brooms.

Cross the street only at corners, not in the middle of the block and stay together in a group before crossing.

Never hide or cross the street between parked cars.

Wear light-colored or reflective clothing so you are more visible. (And remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards and brooms, too!)

Use face paint rather than masks or bigfl oppy hats that will cover your eyes. Don’t wear long, baggy, or loose costumes or extra-large shoes—you could trip and fall!

Carry a flashlight to light your way.

Keep away from open fires and candles. (Costumes can be extremely flammable.) If a costume catches fire, remember to STOP, DROP and ROLL.

Only visit well-lit homes that have a front-porch light on.

Accept treats at the door; never go into a stranger’s house or apartment.

Be cautious of animals and strangers.

Have a grown-up inspect your treats before eating them.

Don’t eat candy if the package has already been opened.

Tips for parents
Establish a route in a well-known neighborhood and discuss it with your kids.

Review Halloween safety precautions with children, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.

Accompany children under age 12 - either you, another responsible adult or an older youth.

Remember that masks that can restrict peripheral vision and hearing and oversized or loose costumes and shoes
can cause children to trip and fall.

Choose a firm return time.

Make sure children know their phone number and carry coins for emergency telephone calls or carry a cell phone.

Purchase fire retardant/fireproof costumes. Check the tag/label on the costume to make sure it’s fl ame-resistant.

Make sure your older children are carrying ID.

Have children use fl exible costume knives and swords, not ones that are rigid or sharp.

Ask children to bring treats home before eating them so you can inspect them. Remember: small, hard pieces of candy
are a choking hazard for young children.

Call your local poison control center if you believe your child has eaten something tainted.

Flush eyes with cool water should face paint, glitter or shaving cream get into eyes.

Prepare for trick-or-treaters by clearing porches, lawns and sidewalks and placing jack-o-lanterns away from doorways or landings.

When carving pumpkins: use stable, flat surfaces with good lighting; draw and follow patterns on the outside of the pumpkin instead of freehand carving; and
use blunt instruments with dull serrations specially designed for pumpkin carving

Tips for drivers
Slow down in residential neighborhoods (drive at least 5 miles under the speed limit) to give yourself time to react to excited trick-or-treaters who
might dart into the street, especially mid-block or from between parked cars.

Broaden your visual scanning - look to your right and left, into front yards and onto porches.

Watch carefully for small superheroes, vampires and goblins in dark costumes walking on the road, medians and curbs; they can be hard to see after dark.
Use caution when exiting driveways and alleyways.

Turn on your vehicle’s headlights, even during the day. They make you more visible.

Pet safety tips

A T-shirt is probably the best costume if you need to use one. Do not use anything that is around the neck or over the face. Make sure there is nothing detachable or chewable that can lead
to stomach upset or intestinal obstruction.

Chocolate is TOXIC to animals. Do not use anything that is around the neck or over the face.

Make sure there is nothing detachable or chewable that can lead to stomach upset or intestinal obstruction.

Keep pets confined during trick-or-treating. Pets should be kept in another room during parties and when kids come to the door. If you don’t keep your animal in another room, they can
escape from the opening and closing doors, so make sure they are wearing identification.

Don’t let your pet get spooked. Animals can definitely get “spooked” and scared from kids in costumes and all of the noise - another reason to keep them in another room and to not take them trick-or-treating.

American Red Cross