Halloween Safety Tips to Keep your Child Safe
Happy Halloween from all of us at The Skolnick Weiser Law Firm! It’s hard to believe that Halloween is this Saturday night already. It can be a very fun and exciting time as the kids will be dressed in their costumes, on the streets of Cleveland and all over Northern Ohio at night, collecting candy as they go from door to door, trick or treating, as we have done for many years in the tradition that is Halloween.
Unfortunately, it’s also the one holiday of the year where accidents often happen that could be prevented. Because we want every child to be safe and enjoy the Halloween holiday in Cleveland, we at The Skolnick Weiser Law Firm want to remind you to keep a few things in mind that can help you to prevent unnecessary accidents from happening this Halloween.
TIP #1 – Kids should Trick or Treat only in places they know and are familiar with
Sometimes the kids feel like they have to increase the amount of the candy booty and venture off into neighborhoods they are not familiar with; this is never a good idea. Stick with what you know and the houses you trust when going out this Saturday. Keep in your own neighborhood or in known and trusted nearby neighborhoods.
TIP #2 – Only Approach Homes that are Obviously in the Spirit of Halloween
Not everyone is into the spirit of the Halloween. If you don’t see a well lit home or there are no decorative lights or carved jack-o-lanterns out front, do not approach that home. Maybe they are not home or maybe they are just not into it.
TIP #3 – Make sure your Kid’s Costume is Highly Visible
There is a new costume this year that is basically a black body suit, even over the head. This is a terrible costume idea and one of the most dangerous I’ve seen in years. If a car can’t see your child, then the odds of an accident go up dramatically. Make sure you have your kids put on their costumes the night before to test them out and make sure they are highly visible at night. If not, you’ve still got time to make changes.
TIP #4 – Drivers, Be on the Lookout for the little ones
If you can avoid driving on Halloween, it would be wise to do so. The hours from sunset and the following three hours are prime tick or treat time so be aware that there will be children in the roads and streets, going door to door, that otherwise would not be. If you don’t have to be driving around in your car during this time, then don’t. If you can’t avoid it then remember, kids are small, their costumes can be dark, sometimes street lights aren’t as bright as they should be so use extreme caution. Avoid a tragedy and stay at one location and just let the kids do their thing.
TIP #5 – Drivers, Slow Down and Skip Neighborhood Shortcuts
If you have to drive, remember, stay on the main streets and avoid shortcuts through residential neighborhoods you might usually take. It is more likely that there will be kids trick or treating on those neighborhood streets so avoid those shortcuts. The other main safety tip for all drivers on Halloween is to just SLOW DOWN. Think how terrible it would be if you knew you were going faster than you should and couldn’t avoid a collision with a child. Don’t be that person! Exercise caution, stay off the roads but if you have to drive, slow down, don’t drink and drive and avoid neighborhood shortcuts.
Just keeping in mind these few safety tips could make a big difference in keeping your child safe this Halloween. We hope your child has a fun time and we love to see pictures of all of the costumes, so please feel free to share them with us.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN from THE SKOLNICK WEISER LAW FIRM!
