Tips for a Safe Halloween

Tips for a Safe Halloween

By Santa Cruz County Sheriff Steve Robbins
Halloween is coming and the Sheriff's Office wants you and your children
to have a fun and safe holiday.
For a safe and enjoyable trick-or-treat event, we offer some suggested safety tips.

For Parents:
- Supervise your children and plan your route with them.
- Establish a curfew for older children.
- Have your child's name and address on their costumes in case they get separated
from their group and teach them their home phone number and how to call 9-1-1.
- Discuss appropriate and inappropriate behavior at Halloween time.
- Don't permit children to bicycle, rollerblade or skateboard during the nighttime hours.
- Agree on a time when you must return home.
- Make sure your children cross the street in established crosswalks under your supervision
and remind them to walk and not run across a street. Remember that drivers have a hard time
seeing people, especially at dusk or at night.
- Clean your lawn and porches to avoid potential injuries to trick-or-treaters
from tripping hazards. Turn on your porch light.
- If you give out treats, avoid handing out choking hazards to young children
such as gum, peanuts, or small toys.
- Set rules about not eating treats until the kids get home so that you can inspect them first.
- Confine, segregate or otherwise prepare your family pets for an evening
of frightful sights and sounds. Be sure your dogs or cats are wearing collars
and proper identification tags.
- Consider having your child wear make-up rather than a mask.
Masks can be hot, uncomfortable, and may obstruct a child's vision.
- At night, reflective tape on a child's costume may help make them more visible to drivers.

For Children:
- Travel in groups and walk slowly.
- Use flashlights and glow sticks.
- Never cut across yards or use alleys.
- Don't sneak a piece of candy or two while trick-or-treating.
Let your parents inspect it first.
- Avoid wearing hats or masks that will slide over your eyes or impede your vision.
- Never consume unwrapped food items/treats or open beverages that may be offered.
- Avoid wearing long and baggy or loose costumes or shoes.
- Make sure that fake knives, swords, and guns are made from soft and flexible materials,
such as cardboard, and do not appear authentic so as to be mistaken for the real thing.

For Drivers on Halloween Night:
- Drive more slowly than normal on your neighborhood streets.
- Be prepared for young children to dart out between cars or across streets.
The Center for Disease and Prevention did a study from 1975-1996 regarding deaths on Halloween night
which showed that young pedestrians were four times more likely to be killed during Halloween evenings
than all other nights of the year. We must drive carefully!
- Exit driveways and alleyways with caution.
- Have your children exit your car on the curb side and not on the traffic side for safety.
Adult partygoers should establish a designated driver.

By following these few safety rules, we can all have a great Halloween.
And, of course, if you see illegal or suspicious activity, please call your local police agency.

Happy Halloween!