Halloween is one of the most terrifying nights of the year, not only because of the scare factor, but because of the safety factor. When thinking about Halloween, the first image that comes to mind is children hopping from house to house while receiving candy from friendly neighbors. This might be a delightful image in your head, but in reality, it is perilous. Some risk factors that you should take into consideration on Halloween night are making sure you are visible at night to drivers, checking your candy before consuming and making plans before they go out on the most spooky Halloween night.
- Make sure you are visible at night to drivers
On Halloween evening, kids are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed than on any other night. The main reasons for this deadly statistic are that Halloween involves darkness and a large number of distractions. People must take extra precautions when trick or treating at night, such as carrying glow sticks, adding reflective elements to their costumes, having an adult trick-or-treat with young kids and making sure kids are staying with a large group rather than trick-or-treating alone. Moreover, if you are driving during Halloween, you need to be extra vigilant and drive slowly through neighborhoods. Children tend to run across streets without the fear of getting struck by a vehicle and it is the responsibility of the driver to look out for the naive trick-or-treaters.
- Check candy before consuming
Many children are allergic to nuts, dairy and gluten and for this reason, it is crucial for children with allergies to wait until they get home to eat their candy. Parents must check all labels because they may be unaware of allergens in certain candies that may affect them. In addition, there is a higher risk this year of drug-laced candies because of the increase in fentanyl abuse. Attorney General Ashley Moody warns people of rainbow fentanyl. People are responsible for adding rainbow fentanyl into Skittle and Nerds packaging and kids don’t know the difference between the candy and this deadly drug. So because of this new fear, parents must make sure that their candy is in its sealed, original packaging.
- Parents and teens must plan ahead
On Halloween night, there is a 17% increase in crimes which can affect teens. Either they are involved in Halloween night crimes or they are the victims of these crimes. In order to prevent this, parents should make plans with their children, such as having a curfew and having their teen keep them updated on their location at all times. Parents can keep track of their teens using apps, such as Life 360 or find my friends. These simple safety precautions can help save a teen from any Halloween night trouble.
Teens and children look forward to Halloween night every year. The excitement of costumes and candy usually overshadows the safeties of the evening. Many don’t worry or think about the sad statistics that can occur. But, by keeping these three simple safety tips in mind, everyone will have a safer and more enjoyable Halloween night.
