Halloween is one of the most enjoyable times of the year for kids, but amid the fun of trick-or-treating and costumes, parents need to be aware of several safety issues. According to My FOX Maine, it’s best to warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has carefully examined them for evidence of tampering. Your best bet is to inspect the candy first, before handing it over to children.Our Bangor child injury attorneys understand that Halloween night is the most dangerous night out of the entire year for pedestrian injuries and fatalities. More children are killed on this night than any other. But luckily, there are things that parents and guardians can do to help reduce these risks. And it all starts out with a little planning. We’re asking parents and guardians to review the following safety tips and to share them with friends, family members and children to help ensure everyone makes it through All Hallow’s Eve unharmed.
The first thing you’re going to want to tackle before heading out the door is costume safety. Starting from head and heading to the toes, you want to make sure that your child’s costume does not consist of a mask. Masks can hinder children’s vision and can send them walking straight into danger. Consider using face paint instead. You also want to make sure that their costume is light in color and consists of reflective materials to help motorists to see them more easily. Costumes should also be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling. Comfortable shoes are ideal as it’s going to be a long night of candy-seeking adventures. Lastly, swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft and flexible material. You don’t want any eye injuries.
Before heading out, talk with your children about safe pedestrian habits. Children are going to get excited, and may think the rules don’t apply tonight, but that’s not true!sNow is more important than ever for safe walking habits. Remind children to use sidewalks whenever available. Make sure everyone crosses the street at crosswalks or intersections. Remember to look left, right and left again before stepping out onto the road. To easily see and be seen, children should also carry flashlights. Make sure children go trick or treating with a responsible adult and that there is a manageable child to adult ratio. With all the kids out there on the streets you have to keep track of the kids and costumes etc., you want to make sure there are enough adults to watch the kids in your group. When planning your route, make sure you pick places where there are sidewalks or paths separated from traffic if possible. When crossing the street at an intersection, obey traffic signs and signals and look for yourself to see if cars are coming.
Halloween is the single biggest holiday for candy sales, but how safe is that candy? Last year’s incidents of deadly poisons in Chinese food products, including milk used in chocolate candy production, raised legitimate concerns over the safety of our imported foods. Should we continue to be concerned?s
Once you’ve made it home safely, it’s time to take a peek at the loot. We’re talking about the candy. Always make sure an adult inspects the candy before it’s distributed to children. You want to discard any pieces that are homemade or appear to have been altered. Only hang on to factory-wrapped candy. Toss out any questionable pieces. If you should find an object in the candy or find something unusual about it, contact the police department and the Regional Poison Control Center (800) 222-1222. Remember — “When In Doubt, Throw It Out”.
Contact the experienced injury lawyers at Peter Thompson & Associates if you or your child has been injured. Call 1-800-804-2004 for a consultation to speak to an attorney about your case.
More Blog Entries:
Dangerous Baby Products Could be in Your Child’s Nursery, Maine Injury Lawyer Blog, August 25, 2013