For children, Halloween is a night filled with fun, magic, tricks, and most of all treats. However, for parents it can also be a night of high alert and safety concerns. Road and pedestrian safety are amongst the biggest concerns facing parents on Halloween night, along with the concern of child predators. We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable evening, and have outlined some safety tips for you and your family to consider for this Halloween.
- No parent wants to do it, but get on the Internet and check your local state website for sex offenders. Almost every state has one; just do a search for your state sex offender site. Look up your zip code and it should have a list of registered offenders in your area that includes street addresses. Educate yourself as a precaution.
- Help your child pick out a costume that will be safe. Add a strip of reflective tape to increase visibility for cars sharing the road and make sure that the costume is fire proof. It may seem silly, but fire hazards such as pumpkins with burning candles put your child at risk if you do not take the proper precautions.
- Give your child a glow stick or flashlight if the costume does not have reflective tape.
- Plan to have your child accompanied by a responsible adult or make sure that they will be traveling in a group.
- Know the route your kids will be taking if you are not going with them.
- Set a curfew for when you expect your kids to be home or have them call/send updates at an established time.
- Drivers should be extra cautious on Halloween, especially residential areas, but that does not mean that the will. If you will not be joining, emphasize that they must keep an eye out for vehicles on the road.
Keep these tips in mind when you take your little ones out trick-or-treating. The Cochran Firm wishes you a safe and fun Halloween!