Safety, weather-related tips to keep kids safe while trick-or-treating

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Halloween can be an exciting night for children, but for parents, it could be a little nerve-wracking as they just want to make sure their kids are safe.

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It is crucial that those driving take extra precautions on Halloween because twice as many kids are killed on Halloween night compared to any other day of the year.

“We do know nationally that the pedestrian injuries are typically double on Halloween,” Dayton Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Coordinator Abby Pettiford said.

On Halloween, there are added difficulties while driving, mainly because there are a lot of kids out trick-or-treating.

“There’s lots of kids out, there’s more kids out on Halloween night than any other night of the year, and it’s dark,” Pettiford said.

Families out and about on Halloween should use a sidewalk, and if there is no sidewalk available, they should stay extremely close to the side of the road, facing toward oncoming traffic.

“So, traffic, cars watching out is a big one and then all the kiddos just making sure they’re still following those pedestrian safety tips,” Pettiford said.

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Parents should consider giving their kids a flashlight if they will be going out. But, remind them to stay in well-lit areas at all times, if possible.

“Or glow sticks, something that illuminates your child so that they can be seen while they’re walking,” Pettiford said.

A local police department said it is helpful for children to wear bright costumes that can be seen in the dark.

As the temperature is expected to drop on Tuesday night, Cornerstone Pediatrician Greg Eberhart said it is important that kids dress in layers under their costumes.

“For little kids, especially elementary kids, we worry a lot more. They are smaller, they get cold a lot faster and particularly exposed areas, so the tip of the nose, ears, fingertips, get cold a lot,” Eberhart said.

Eberhart also suggests families and children go trick-or-treating in shifts throughout the night instead of one long walk.

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When children get home, parents should inspect the candy they have collected.

“If you can get inside if you know your neighbors and you can sneak into a neighbor’s house every 20 minutes just to grab some hot chocolate or just warm up for a few minutes and then kind of go back out or do a loop,” Eberhart said.

There are several counties throughout the Miami Valley that have trick-or-treat scheduled for tonight or tomorrow.

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