HERSHEY, Pa. — Even if no one’s wearing a spooky costume, Halloween can turn scary in an instant. Why? The fun and excitement of trick-or-treat night can make children (and adults) prone to accidents and injuries.
“It’s easy to get distracted when you’re seeing friends, looking at everyone’s costumes and admiring the decorations on the houses nearby,” said Emmy Sasala, an injury prevention specialist at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital. “And all that’s happening around dusk, when it’s dark out, a time of day when injuries are more common.”
About 3,200 Halloween-related injuries are treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments each year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Some are even fatal. On Halloween, kids are two to 10 times as likely to be hit and killed by a car than on any other day of the year, research published in JAMA Pediatrics shows.
Here are Sasala’s top Halloween safety tips.
Start with a safe Halloween costume
Trick-or-treat safety starts with costume selection. Follow these tips:
- Pick a costume that fits. When kids wear outfits that are too big or baggy, they can easily trip and fall, especially on steps and uneven sidewalks in the dark. If you’re making a do-it-yourself home costume or using a hand-me-down from an older sibling, hem it so it doesn’t drag on the ground. Watch for capes, hoods, helmets and other accessories that can throw kids off balance, Sasala said.
- Help your child see clearly. “We recommend using non-toxic face paint instead of a mask because a mask can obscure vision and make a child more likely to trip and fall,” Sasala said. If the eye holes of a mask don’t perfectly line up with your child’s eyes, they can create blind spots.
- Make sure drivers can see your child. “Sometimes kids want to play a spooky character that can sneak up on people, but we recommend making them extra visible by adding reflective tape or reflective components to their costumes or giving them flashlights or lighted trick-or-treat pails to carry,” Sasala said.
VIDEO: Keep Your Kids Safe and Seen this Halloween
Do a dry run of the neighborhood
Walk around your trick-or-treat route a few days before Halloween during daylight hours. Identify the driveways where a car could back out. Spot the street corners and crosswalks to use when switching sides of the street. “Mid-street crossings are not as well lit, and drivers aren’t expecting people to cross there,” Sasala said.
Getting a sneak peek at the neighborhood is especially important if your kid isn’t usually allowed to walk around the neighborhood or if they’re visiting a new one for Halloween, Sasala says.
Stick with the group
“Any children under 12 should be with an adult,” Sasala said. Compared to adolescents, younger children don’t yet have the judgment or ability to accurately gauge the speed of cars or other hazards approaching.
“Actively supervise,” Sasala recommended. “Don’t stay half a block back and let them go ahead of you. Walk up to the house with them or stay just a few steps behind.”
VIDEO: Trick-or-Treating? Keep Kids Safe with These Easy Tips
Watch for trick-or-treaters
Even if you don’t accompany trick-or-treaters or hand out candy from your home, check the hours of your local trick-or-treat night. Stay off the road or be extra cautious while driving.
“Be on the lookout for kids crossing the road unpredictably or even being in the street at some point,” Sasala says. “Drive extra slowly and carefully, limit any distractions in the car, and be really careful backing out of the driveway.”
Check your candy
When your kid dumps and sorts their candy, look for choking hazards —like hard candy for kids under 3 — or treats they’re allergic to. Stick with treats that are individually wrapped and store-bought, not homemade, to avoid hidden allergens or other hazards.
VIDEO: Candy Safety 101: Halloween Tips for Parents
Related content:
- The Medical Minute: Halloween edition ― three healthy tricks, three healthy treats
- Penn State Health Children's Hospital: Pedestrian Safety
If you have questions or concerns, contact your child’s pediatrician or call for after-hours care. To find a Penn State Health Children’s doctor near you, visit pennstatehealth.org/doctors.
Learn how to help your child stay safe at home and on the go from Penn State Health Children's Hospital’s Pediatric Injury Prevention Program.
The Medical Minute is a health news feature produced by Penn State Health. Articles feature the expertise of faculty, physicians and staff, and are designed to offer timely, relevant health information of interest to a broad audience.