Fall is here! For parents, that means figuring out if last year’s winter boots still fit, layering our children for cold mornings and hot afternoons, and trying to decide how long we can hold out before turning on the heat since we swear we just turned the AC off a week or two ago. For children, fall means a return to school, fall sports and activities, leaf piles to jump in, and HALLOWEEN! For many this may be a favorite, though somewhat spooky, holiday. Parents opinions may vary, but it can be agreed that keeping our children safe while letting them enjoy the costumes, events, trick-or-treating, and treats is a top priority.

The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that children are more than twice as likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween than on any other night of the year. That statistic is enough to make this holiday a lot scarier for any parent. The good news is, there are a lot of easy ways to make this holiday safer. Always crossing at street corners or by using traffic signals or crosswalks where they are available, staying on sidewalks, or if none are available, walking as far to the left as possible facing traffic, and putting all electronics away to eliminate distractions. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers additional tips, including planning for costumes that are reflective and bright or adding reflective tape to bags or costumes, crossing streets as a group, and never assuming the right away as trick-or-treaters may be hard for driver’s to see. A consensus from all sources is that younger trick-or-treaters, typically those under 12 years of age, should be accompanied by an adult for the evening. For parents with older trick-or-treaters, set clear ground rules, such as sticking to a familiar and agreed upon route, staying with a group, sticking to the sidewalks, only approaching well lit homes, never going into someone’s home or vehicle for a treat, and setting a curfew. When possible, also have your older child carry a cell phone.

For those who won’t be out with a trick-or-treater, there are ways for you to make the night safer for those who are out and about. For those who will be at home put away items that could be tripped over, such as hoses, toys, and lawn decorations, making sure your home is well lit, clearing sidewalks and steps of snow or wet leaves, and making sure pets are kept away from visitors. For those that will be on the road turn your headlights on earlier in the evening, being especially watchful for those trick -or-treaters who may be wearing dark clothing, entering and exiting alleys and driveways with extra caution, and, overall, slowing down and being extra alert for much heavier than usual pedestrian traffic, particularly between the hours of 5:30 pm and 9:30 pm when most trick-or-treaters are out.

For more information on staying safe on Halloween, visit the AAP website at https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Halloween-Safety-Tips.aspx or the National Safety Council’s website at https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/tools-resources/seasonal-safety/autumn/halloween.