8 Tips for Keeping Your Children and You Safe through Halloween
Halloween, with its costumes, candy, and atmosphere of faux horror, can be one of the most exciting nights of the year for children and adults alike. But the Pearland personal injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC note that it’s also one of the most dangerous nights of the year as well.
Halloween is one of the top three nights of the year for drunken driving and the deadliest day for pedestrians. And costumes, sharp costume accessories, dark haunted houses, and open flames make for a dangerous mix that leads to hundreds of injuries and emergency room visits each year.
Enjoy the holiday and its theme, but take precautions to help make your Halloween safe and fun. Our Pearland personal injury lawyers present a few safety tips to help you get through the Halloween evening in one piece:
- Caution your children not to eat any of the candy or treats they receive before an adult has had a chance to examine them for tampering.
- If your children receive toys or novelty items, examine them. Especially with young children less than three years of age, remove any items that might present a choking hazard or have small parts that could come off and be swallowed.
- At your home, keep jack-o-lanterns and candles away from doors, stairs, walkways, and landings where costumes could accidentally touch the flames. Also keep these flames away from curtains, decorations, and other materials that could accidentally ignite.
- Remover any obstacles or hazards that might cause trip and falls or other injuries for trick-or-treating children and the adults accompanying them.
- Use only lighting decorations that have been safety tested by a recognized laboratory, and examine lights and decorations for frayed or exposed wires, loose connections, cracked or broken sockets, and other damage. Our Pearland personal injury lawyers caution you not to use damaged items, as they could pose a fire or injury hazard.
- Don’t overload extension cords or electrical outlets.
- Mark dark costumes with fluorescent paint or reflective tape to enhance visibility. Click the link to read more about creating a safe Halloween costume.
- And when driving on Halloween night, drive slowly through residential areas and keep a sharp lookout for trick-or-treaters. National statistics reveal that children are 136% more likely to be injured or killed on Halloween as pedestrians than on any other day. The hours between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. are the most dangerous according to the numbers. Warn your children to look carefully before crossing streets. Our Pearland personal injury lawyers urge you to have an older, responsible child or an adult accompany younger children on their quest for Halloween treats.