Halloween is a delightful time of year for spooky games, fun parties, and trick-or-treating adventures. However, this holiday isn’t all fun and treats. After every Halloween night, various safety groups and news outlets release haunting statistics and reports about the injuries and fatalities incurred by both children and adults.
At Martin Jean & Jackson, we want to do everything in our power to ensure that you experience a safe and enjoyable Halloween night. For this reason, our personal injury attorneys have created the following list of safety tips for you to review.
Tip #1: Drive Safely
Halloween represents the greatest adventure for children. They get to dress up as their favorite characters to beg for candy from neighbors and strangers alike. But when children are excited and motivated by sugar, they don’t always pay attention when crossing the street.
It’s important to stay alert if you’re driving in residential neighborhoods on Halloween night, particularly between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Also, avoid participating in any distracted driving behaviors like checking your phone or adjusting your GPS. Children are constantly crossing streets and darting between cars, and you don’t want to be liable for a tragic accident. As an extra precaution, turn your headlights on early in the evening, even if it isn’t dark. This will help you see racing children at greater distances.
Tip #2: Keep Your Home Safe
Before the festivities start, there are a few things you should do to make your home safe and accessible for guests.
For example, you can:
- Keep your lights on so children know your home is safe to visit
- Clear your porch so children can’t trip on anything
- Sweep away any leaves or rocks on the sidewalk
- Restrain any pets that could pose a danger to trick-or-treaters
- If you have a haunted house, make sure there are no actual dangers that could hurt guests
Tip #3: Be Careful with Pumpkins
As every child knows, it isn’t Halloween without a pumpkin. However, best safety practices state that a child shouldn’t be responsible for handling the carving knife. By replacing that knife with a pen or sharpie, your child can design their pumpkin without losing a finger.
Another great tip is to replace the candle with a flashlight or glowstick. This can prevent fires and protect your home and family. However, if you’re a purist, make sure your candlelit pumpkin is placed on a durable table and away from any flammable objects. It’s also imperative that someone in your home has an eye on it at all times. Don’t just set it out on your porch and hope it won’t be tampered with.
Tip #4: Check the Spoils
When your child comes home from trick-or-treating, check their spoils before letting them eat their well-earned hoard. It’s greatly unfortunate, but malicious people have been known to tamper with chocolate or give children spoiled candy.
Parents have found the following items in various types of candies:
- Needles
- Razor blades
- Glass shards
- Drugs
- Detergent pods
- Staples
- Thumbtacks
Schedule a Consultation
We hope our tips can help you and your family have a very fun and safe Halloween night. However, if you’re injured due to the intentional or negligent actions of another person, contact our Oklahoma personal injury lawyers.
Call Martin Jean & Jackson at to schedule a consultation. We practice out of Ponca City, Stillwater, and Tulsa.