Keep Your Family Safe This Halloween

Halloween is just a few days away and that means it’s time to pull out the ghost and goblin costumes. But before you and your children head out to trick-or-treat, it’s worth considering a few tips for staying safe:

• Help young children choose a safe costume. Make sure it’s made out of a non-flammable material. Facial masks should provide adequate openings for breathing and vision.
• Check to see if you can incorporate reflective tape or other components into your child’s costume. If not, other accessories like glow sticks or flashlights help make your child more visible to drivers.
• Children should go out trick-or-treating with an adult. When there’s a group of children, a few adults should go along and take careful head counts throughout the night.
• Plan a safe trick-or-treating route and discuss it with your children to make it easier to find each other if you get separated.
• Give your child a cell phone so he or she can contact you if get separated.
• Designate a time to return home from trick-or-treating in case you get separated or your children go out with another family.
• Instruct your children not to eat any candy until they bring it home and it’s examined by an adult.
• Tell your children and teenagers to never ring a doorbell without being escorted by a parent and never enter a stranger’s house.
• Talk to your children about crossing the street. Even if you’re with them, children who are excited on Halloween may be eager to get across the street on their own. Tell them to look in both directions before crossing and only cross the street in a crosswalk. Equip them with a strong flashlight.

The Boston personal injury lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck promote public safety education to protect families. We are experienced in handling complex cases of personal injury, medical malpractice, car accidents and bicycle accidents. If you have a case, contact us today at (617) 723-7676.