Halloween safety tips for parents and trick or treaters
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Before parents send their kids off trick or treating for Halloween, there are some safety tips that will help keep your kids safe.
Halloween is of course all fun and games with candy, parents and kids can get caught up in all the excitement. Kids running from house to house focusing on candy and not so much on the cars that might be driving through the neighborhood. Capt. Brian Leer with the Boone County Sheriff's Office says it's important parents keep a watchful eye on their kids.
"They get focused and excited on candy or trick or treating, and they forget about the cars and they are pedestrians out there," said Leer. "A lot of times it's dark and maybe the street lights aren't as well. Cars are moving all around, so just really stay on top of where the kiddos are and keep them out of the way of traffic."
There are several neighborhoods that may not have many street lights, so if your child is wearing a dark colored costume, it best to get them something reflective that they can wear or keep in their hands like a flashlight or a glow stick so they can be seen by cars.
Parents who drive their children to multiple neighborhoods for trick or treating, make sure you slow down and give yourself extra time so you can watch out for other kids.
For parents that will not be trick or treating with their older children, make sure they are with friends and stay in a group. "You know, there's always safety in numbers," said Leer. "You know, we don't really like to see kids out by themselves, just for safety reasons. When friends can watch out for each other and go in groups, know where they are, give them time and locations where they should be, and and just really try to help monitor."
The Columbia Fire Department also has Halloween safety tips to avoid other safety hazards. Use battery-powered candles or glow sticks in jack-o-lanterns and keep flammable items like cornstalks and hay away from open flames and heat sources.
CFD also suggest that people don’t block doorways with decorations and Avoid long, flowing fabrics and go for lighter-colored costumes with glow sticks for visibility.
