Safety Tips For A Happy Halloween

Whether you will be out trick or treating with your tiny goblins or staying at home to give candy to passing ghosts, adults should heed a few safety tips to ensure Halloween continues to be a safe rite of passage for youngsters.

With kids dashing from one home to the next in a race to fill their pumpkin baskets, statistics from Safe Kids Worldwide suggests this festive holiday is linked to an increase in young pedestrian deaths. In fact, kids are more than twice as likely to get seriously hurt on Halloween than on any other day of the year.

As part of our commitment to keep your family safe all year round, we at OceanPoint Insurance want to share some important information we hope you consider during Halloween:

Parents should make sure their kids’ costumes contain bright and reflective material. Reflective costumes will grab drivers’ attention and will make them more vigilant in busy neighborhoods.
While driving in residential neighborhoods, especially around 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., drivers should have their foot on the brakes to make sure they can stop the vehicle in case a child runs across the street.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, about 12 percent of children 5 years of age and younger are accompanied by an adult. Safe Kids Worldwide advises that all children 12 years old or younger should be accompanied by an adult.
Some costumes can impede your child’s ability to move or see. Parents should make an effort to ensure kids have complete mobility and vision because kids could unknowingly walk into oncoming traffic.
Before Halloween arrives, parents can talk with their kids about safety. These discussions should include appropriate and safe behaviors like walking on the sidewalk; walking in properly lit areas; using crosswalks and being aware of traffic signals.
Homeowners waiting for visitors should have their walkway clean from obstacles because they can pose a safety hazard.
While candle lit pumpkins can provide some of the best Halloween backdrops, homeowners should consider replacing them with electric pumpkin lights because the former can pose a fire risk for youngsters wearing fire prone accessories. Candle lit pumpkins can also increase the probability of a house fire.
At the end of the night, inspect all of the treats gathered to make sure they are safe for consumption.

As you head into the night with your caped crusader or miniaturized Dracula, keep these tips in mind for a fun and spooky Halloween this year. Call an OceanPoint Insurance agent at one of our locations anytime to discuss other ways to protect the ones you cherish the most.