Safety Council provides safety tips for Halloween

By Jazmine Knight

As more families begin preparing for Halloween, it’s important to make sure you take a few extra precautions to promote safety for all.

Frank Till, executive director of the St. Joseph Safety Council starts with costumes. He says the most important thing to consider is if the child can see properly.

“If at all possible, use makeup and face paint instead of a mask,” he said. “If they are going to use a mask, make sure the eye holes are big enough that they can actually see out of them.”

Additionally, make sure your child’s costume isn’t too long to the point where they might trip and fall. To see your child better at night, try adding reflective tape to their costume or use glow necklaces or even flashlights.

Till understands that Halloween is a very exciting time for kids. However he says pedestrian fatalities greatly increase on Halloween night, which is why he suggests reminding them of proper street crossing directions.

“They get excited, they run and they do things they shouldn’t. Kids should always cross the street at intersections and not in between cars,” Till said.

Other good practices would be to wait for traffic lights to indicate a clear walkway, look both ways before you cross and make eye contact with drivers prior to crossing.

When it comes to special activities and Halloween events like trunk or treats, typically these can be a bit safer but parents should still be mindful of checking their kid’s candy.

“Make sure it doesn’t appear to be tampered with or old or or just anything that would look suspicious,” said Till.

Strive for factory made candy unless you know or are close with the people that gave out the candy.

Lastly, Till advises parents to listen to their sixth sense.

“There’s a house that doesn’t feel right, something just doesn’t jive then just move on to the next house,” he said.