Tips to Stay Safe During the Spooky Season

SAN ANGELO, TX – With Halloween right around the corner its important to keep a few safety tips in mind to ensure everyone has a safe and fun holiday. Safe Kids San Angelo and San Angelo Community Medical put together a few tips to ensure everyone stays safe on the spookiest night of the year. 

Halloween on average is one of the most dangerous nights for kids that are walking around neighborhoods. By taking simple precautions kids, parents, and drivers can have a safe night.

“On Halloween, more children are on the street after dark than normal, and they are so excited that they may run out into the street without thinking,” said Jamie Harden of Safe Kids San Angelo. “We’re asking parents to talk to their kids about how to walk safely and asking drivers to take extra care and slow down on neighborhood roads.”

Safe costumes:

1. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colored clothing. 
2. Masks can obstruct a child’s vision, so choose non-toxic face paint and make-up whenever possible. 
3. Have children carry glow sticks or flashlights so they can see better, as well as be seen by drivers. 

Safe walking:

1. Stay alert - Watch out for cars that are turning or backing up and don’t dart out into the street or cross in between parked cars. 
2. Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. 
3. Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street. 
4. It’s best to cross the street safely at corners. And always look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. 

Safe driving:

1. Slow down in residential neighborhoods. Remember that popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. 
2. Be especially alert and take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways. 
3. Reduce any distractions inside your car, such as talking on the phone or eating, so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings. 

Additional safety tips can be found at www.safekids.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/safekidsusa.