Top 10 Ways to Prevent Trick-or-Treat Injuries

It’s that time of year. Halloween is just around the corner! But with the excitement of the spooky evening comes the scary prospect of potential injuries caused by candy, costumes, and even car-pedestrian accidents.

If you and your child plan to go trick-or-treating on Halloween night, what are some of the best Halloween safety tips to prevent trick-or-treat injuries?

Here are some injury-prevention and safety tips for Halloween that you may want to think about:

• Drivers Look Out! Starting with the obvious, there will be more children out than usual on trick-or-treat night. It's best to err on the side of caution to avoid any pedestrian-car accidents, one of the more common types of injuries that trick-or-treaters are prone to. Use crosswalks at intersections when moving around your neighborhood with your kids. Parents may want to add reflective tape to their child's costume to make them more visible to drivers or have them carry glow sticks.
• Check Your Child's Costume In order to prevent child injuries on Halloween, make sure your child's costume is not just visible, but also safe. Costume safety includes making sure the material is flame-resistant, that it fits properly, and that it has no sharp objects attached. Also, don’t allow a mask to block your child's field of vision while they are walking. Consider using face paint as a different option.
• Be Careful With Candles. While cheerfully lit pumpkins are festive, they can also be extreme fire hazards to the children that they might attract. When you are carving pumpkins consider using battery-operated candles instead and keep your jack-o-lanterns on your porch instead of your driveway so the goblins coming to your door don’t trip over them.
• Keep Pets Indoors. While you may have the friendliest pet ever, it's still best to keep all pets indoors and away from trick-or-treaters. Your pet(s) may get extra excited by all the trick-or-treaters that night and things could get out of hand.
• Always Ensure Adult Supervision. Make sure that your children are under the watchful eye of an adult. This is not only obvious, proper parenting, but can help keep your child safe from Halloween injuries and other types of harm. If your child has allergies keep an eye out for houses with teal pumpkins. The Teal Pumpkin Project allows children with food allergies to enjoy non-food Halloween treats along with their friends.
• Make Sure Your Property is Well Lit. You could be liable for any injuries that you failed to prevent on your property if you didn't take reasonable measures. For example, having a poorly lit path to your door could lead to legal responsibility, since you know that many children will be visiting and could fall over anything in their path.
• Inspect Candy. This goes for both those who are collecting treats and those who are putting them in treat bags at the front door. Make sure to only purchase or consume packaged candies from trusted brands, and that nothing has surpassed its expiration date or has any evidence of tampering. When you inspect your child’s candy make sure none of the treats would be a choking hazard for your child or cause them to have an allergic reaction.
• Don't Make Things Too Scary. Yes, it's Halloween. But, remember that when dealing with children, you shouldn't make things too scary for them. Emotional injuries are still injuries and something which might not be scary for older children may be too much for younger ones. Keep this in your mind as you decide what ghouls to put in your windows or on your lawn.

You can love everything about Halloween and still enjoy it safely with your loved ones!

Related Resources

• 10 'Spooktacular' Halloween Party Legal Tips (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
• Halloween Crime and Teenagers (FindLaw’s Law and Daily Life)