Media Advisory: Be safe, be seen on Halloween

With Halloween on Sunday, it’s an important time to talk to children about pedestrian safety. Children are two times more likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than the average day. It’s also important to remind motorists to take extra precautions while trick-or-treaters are out. 

As part of their ongoing child safety efforts, Safe Kids Palm Beach County and Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County offer these tips for a happy and safe Halloween.  Kathy Wall, director of Safe Kids Palm Beach County, is available for on-camera interviews through Halloween. She also is available for morning shows. Wall can be reached at 561-628-7897 or at kwall@cp-cto.org. 

Here are 10 safety tips to remember for Halloween: 

SAFE COSTUMES 
•    Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light-colored clothing. 
•    Masks can limit a child’s vision. Use face paint or makeup if possible. 
•    Have children carry glow sticks or flashlights so they can be seen. 

SAFE WALKING 
•    Watch for cars turning or backing up and don’t dart out into the street or cross in between parked cars. 
•    Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. 
•    Put electronic devices down. Pay attention to what’s around you, not what’s on your phone. 
•    Cross at corners. Always look left, right and left again when crossing. 

SAFE DRIVING 
•    Slow down in residential neighborhoods. Remember that the popular time frame for trick-or-treating is 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. 
•    Take extra time to look for children at intersections, on medians and on curbs. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways. 
•    Drivers need to pay even closer attention to the road and not be distracted such as talking on the phone or eating. 
 
“On Halloween, more children are on the street after dark than normal, and they are so excited that they may run out into the street without thinking,” Wall said. “We need parents to talk to their kids in advance about how to walk safely, and we’re asking drivers to pay extra attention and slow down.” 
 
For more local information about child safety, please visit EveryParentPBC.org or download the EveryParent app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 
 
About Safe Kids Palm Beach County 
 
Safe Kids Palm Beach County works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Safe Kids Palm Beach County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Palm Beach County was founded in 1988 and is led by Community Partners. For more information, visit www.safekids.org.