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Contact: Lori Maldonado
Public Information Specialist
(303) 692-2028
For Immediate Release Monday, October 27, 2003
Trick or Treat Your Way to a Safe Halloween
DENVER--Halloween night, as the ghosts and goblins
come out to play and children are creeping through the streets, is
one of the most dangerous times of the year for child pedestrians,
state health officials reminded Colorado parents on Monday.
According to state injury prevention specialists, children are four
times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other
night of the year.
Barbara Bailey, an injury prevention specialist with
the Colorado SAFE KIDS Coalition, which is based at the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment, said, “Halloween is a
thrilling time, but the excitement and fun of trick-or-treating may
be a distraction for children. Careless street crossing coupled with
drivers’ limited vision at night can be a deadly mix.
“Many of the risks children face on Halloween can be avoided if
parents discuss important safety precautions with their children
beforehand.”
PEDESTRIAN INJURIES
Bailey said that darting out into the street is one of the most
common causes of pedestrian-related deaths among children. As
children scurry from house to house collecting treats, she said it
is important for them to take the appropriate safety precautions.
She recommended the following safety tips:
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Halloween Safety
Page 2
Visibility
Decorate costumes, bags and sacks with retro-reflective tape and
stickers.
· Use costumes that are light or bright enough to make children more
visible at night.
Traffic
Teach children to walk, not run, while trick-or-treating.
Remind children to stop at all street corners before crossing. Tell
them to cross streets only at intersections and crosswalks.
Teach children to look left, right and left again before crossing
the street and to continue looking both ways as they cross.
Teach children never to dart out into a street or cross between
parked cars.
Never let children go trick-or-treating or cross the street without
adult supervision, especially under age 12.
Motorists
Slow down in residential neighborhoods.
Obey all traffic signs and signals.
Watch for children walking in the street or on medians and curbs.
Enter and exit driveways and alleyways slowly and carefully. Teach
children to exit and enter cars on the curb side, away from traffic.
For younger children:
Adults should accompany children under age 12 on their
trick-or-treat rounds.
Attach the name, address and phone number (including area code) of
children, under age 12, to their clothes, in case they get separated
from adults.
Parents should bring treats home and check them to ensure that items
have not been tampered with and are safely sealed. Be careful with
fruit. Inspect the surface closely for punctures or holes, and cut
the fruit open before allowing a child to eat it.
Take children only in familiar areas and along a pre-established
route.
Take a cell phone in case there is a need to make a call.
For older children:
Teach children their phone numbers.
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Halloween Safety
Page 3
Make certain children have change for a phone call in case they have
a problem away from home.
Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along a
pre-established route.
Instruct children never to enter a home or an apartment building
unless accompanied by an adult.
Set a time for children to return home.
Restrict trick-or-treating visits to homes that have turned on their
outside lights.
Homeowners:
Remove breakable items or obstacles such as tools, ladders and
children's toys from the steps, lawn and porch. Keep jack o’lanterns
lit with candles away from landings or doorsteps where costumes
might brush against the flame.
As parents and children take time to construct costumes and
decorations, cumbersome costumes and blinding masks can make walking
safely through dark neighborhoods difficult, Bailey said.
She recommended the following tips to help prevent fall-related
injuries:
FALLS
Apply face paint or cosmetics directly to the face. They are safer
than a loose-fitting mask that can obstruct a child's vision. If a
mask is worn, be certain it fits securely. Cut the eyeholes large
enough for full vision.
Give trick-or-treaters flashlights.
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, because they make it easier to trip and fall.
Allow children to carry only flexible knives, swords or other props.
Anything they carry could injure them if they fall.
Teach children not to cut across yards. It’s hard to see hazards
like lawn ornaments and clothes lines in the dark. Tell your
children to stay on the sidewalk at all times.
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Halloween Safety
Page 4
BURNS
Bailey added that fires and burns are the third leading cause of
unintentional injury-related death among children in the United
States. On Halloween night, she recommended that parents use the
following burn-prevention tips:
Look for "flame resistant" labels on costumes, masks, beards and
wigs.
Use fire-resistant material 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.
For more information on Halloween safety, call (303) 692-2589.
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