Tips To Help Kids Walk Safely On Halloween

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Pointers for Parents Tips To Help Kids Walk Safely On Halloween (NAPSA)—Manyparents find Halloween almost as frightening as their children do—but not because of the ghosts and gobblins. Experts say the holidayis one of the most dangerous times of the year for children to walk because they will be out trick-ortreating in the dark when it is harder for drivers to see them. Even though Halloween falls on the Friday before daylight-saving time ends, kids will still be out after dark. That’s why parents need to remind kids of the rules for navigating streets and sidewalks. Cross streets safely. Cross at the corner. Try to makeeye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. Don’t assume that because you can see the driver, the driver can see you. * Lookleft, right and left again whencrossing and keep looking as you cross. Walk, don’t run, across the street. Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings. Children under age 12 should not be out alone at night without adult supervision. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, they should stick to a predetermined route with good light. Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Neverdart out into the street or cross in between parked cars. Also, it’s important to remember that the excitement of the holiday can be distracting to both drivers andchildren. “Parents have many concerns on Halloween, and we need to remind kids about safety while walking before they head out to trick-or- Safe Kids Ave Seen Choose costumesthat are light colored and can be seen easily by drivers in the dark. Decorate darker costumeswith reflective materials to increasevisibility. treat,” says Mitch Stoller, president and CEOof Safe Kids USA. Stoller and the child pedestrian safety experts at Safe Kids offer these tips to keep kids safe: * Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision. Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights in order to see better as well as be seen by drivers. Parents also need to keep in mind that there are other potential hazards for children on that night. For instance, kids should be remindedto only eat treats in original, unopened wrappers and to throw away candy if the wrapperis faded or torn or if the candy is unwrapped. Safe Kids USA and program sponsor FedEx created the Safe Kids Walk This Way program in 2000 to help prevent pedestrianrelated injury to children. For more information, visit usa.safekids.org/Halloween.

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