Halloween festivity options are a-plenty throughout the area Thursday night, from trunk-or-treating and spooks to free will donation meals and the traditional trick-or-treating. Custer County Sheriff Dan Osmond joined KCNI/KBBN to talk safety ahead of the spooky season fun.
Osmond said the safety of trick-or-treaters is the responsibility of both drivers and those walking, “It’s harder to see, and you might just have a kid that’s really happy about all of their candy who forgets about being careful on the road.”
Bright colored costumes, when possible, are encouraged. If coats or other clothing are covering up costumes, having someone in the group with reflectors on a jacket or stroller are other ways to increase safety.
Of course, there’s also the awareness of which houses to approach and which to avoid.
“You’re gonna tell the people that want to open the door and hand out candy to you, right? That house will be lit up like you said, and people will be there. If it’s dark and there’s nobody there I think that you just move on. I think you should also be careful about going into someone’s house that you don’t know. I think you should just stay outside and get your candy and move on,” said Osmond.
As far as the candy itself, being overly cautious can’t hurt Osmond said. Throw away any candy inside unrecognizable packaging or open wrappers. Parents should look through all of their kid’s candy before they enjoy the evening’s spoils.
Here are some quick Halloween safety tips from SafeKids.org:
Walk Safely
– Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.
– Put electronic devices down, keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
– Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
Costumes for a safe Halloween
– Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
– Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
Drive extra safely on Halloween
– Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
– Turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.
Listen to our full talk with Sheriff Osmond here:
