Trick-or-treating safety tips on Halloween

Taking children trick-or-treating is a fun experience for them. This fun doesn’t come without hazards, though. It is a priority to make sure that the young people stay safe. Everyone who is around the children, including drivers and property owners, must do their part to make this happen.

There are several things to think about when you are getting ready for Halloween. The American Academy of Pediatrics has several tips for helping to keep children safe during fall activities.

Stay safe while trick-or-treating

Whether you are walking around to trick-or-treat from house to house or going to a “trunk-or-treat,” there is a risk of children being hit by vehicles. On days when children are likely going to be walking around, drivers must be more aware of what’s going on. Since these events are likely to occur after dusk, drivers might have trouble seeing trick-or-treaters. Adding reflective tape to costumes and bags can help to improve safety.

When walking around, use the sidewalks if they are available. If no sidewalks are present, walk as close to the edge of the road as possible. Only cross the road at crosswalks or at intersections so that vehicles know to watch for you. Even if you have the right-of-way to cross, watch for cars. Some drivers might think that they don’t really have to stop and could plow into you. While this is illegal if you had the right-of-way, it won’t stop some drivers who are trying to rush to make it to their destination.

Beware of hidden dangers

One of the issues that parents need to worry about is someone tampering with the candy. Some parents also need to be aware of foods that contain allergens that could harm the children. Carefully inspecting all candy that the child is given can help to prevent unthinkably terrible events. Sometimes, people choose to give items other than candy so all children can enjoy the holiday. This takes some of the worry away from parents.

There is a chance that a child will suffer an injury while trick-or-treating. Be sure to get them medical care if needed. Even if you don’t see obvious injuries, have the child evaluated. Once that is done, you can decide if you are going to seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit for the incident and damages caused by it.

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