Halloween, Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips for Parents, Kids

Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch offers the following Halloween safety tips for trick-or-treaters, parents, residents and those driving the roads: 

• Drivers should avoid neighborhood shortcuts, watch for children in the street, slow down and most importantly, drive sober. Please be especially vigilant between 4 p.m. and midnight.
• Dress in highly visible costumes. Use light, bright and reflective costumes that make children easy to see. Add reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-trick buckets and bags to make them more visible.
• Ensure that costumes fit well. Before your child leaves the house, have her/him try on their costume, walk around and play in the costume.
• Make sure that nothing might cause the child to trip and that wings or other accessories don't block the child's view.
• Make sure kids know to stay on sidewalks, cross the street using crosswalks, avoid walking in front of, behind or between parked cars, and stop at driveways to make sure no vehicles are going in or out.
• Plan a trick-or-treating route. Avoid areas with heavy traffic and look for well-lighted streets. 
• Make arrangements for an adult or responsible teen to accompany young trick-or-treaters.
• Carry a flashlight with fresh batteries. A flashlight can help kids see and be seen, but it should never be directed at someone's eyes including those of passing motorists.

Halloween fire safety tips

• Keep candles and jack-o'-lanterns away from curtains, decorations and other combustibles.
• Never leave firelit candles unattended.
• Make sure indoor and outdoor lights have been tested for safety by a recognized testing lab. Check for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections.
• Don't overload extension cords or electrical sockets.
• Keep candles and jack-o'-lanterns away from high-traffic areas to avoid having them knocked over.
• Make sure that costumes have a "flame resistant" label on them.