Tips: How to Stay Safe this Halloween

Halloween means costumes, trick-or-treaters and lots of candy. But for Dr. Gwyneth Susil, a pediatrician at  emergency department, it also means plenty of potential patients. We asked her for some tips on how you can keep your kids safe on Halloween.

• Don't let your kids go solo when trick-or-treating. "It's a fun night, kids want to go out, they want to be independent, but parents need to use judgement," Susil says. Make sure your children know what to do in case of an emergency.
• Avoid dark costumes. This may be hard with some costumes, and in that case, Susil recommends using glowsticks or reflective tape to be more visible to drivers. "Make sure your children can be seen," she says.
• Susil says she sees plenty of burns, trips and falls that could be prevented with better-fitting costumes, or costumes made with more flame-retardant material. Props, too, can cause problems. "A lot of the costumes involve swords or other kinds of dueling instruments and kids aren't always the best judge of what's fun and what could lead to an injury," she says. "Every now and then we see an injury to the eye which obviously can be bad news."
• Tainted candy isn't a very common issue, Susil says. However, parents should make sure all candy is individually-wrapped, and parents of kids with food allergies should be extra careful and check labels. For small children, avoid items like gumballs that could cause choking hazards.

In a press release, the gave some more tips to keep your kids safe while trick-or-treating.

• Adults should accompany young children, and older kids should travel in groups.
• Obey all traffic laws. Walk on sidewalks whenever possible and cross at crosswalks or corners. Never cross between parked cars.
• Do not go into any vehicles or homes while trick-or-treating. Wait outside for treats.
• Respect other people's property. Don't destroy it.
• Stay in your own neighborhood.
• Parents, make sure masks have large holes for the eyes. It is easy for little ones to trip and fall on a dark night. If possible, use make-up instead of a mask. Give children flashlights to carry with them. Flashlights or battery-powered Halloween torches or lamps enable them to see better. It also makes it easier for others, especially motorists, to see them.

The State Highway Administration will be lending protective vests to parents. You can get yours at the nearest SHA maintenance facility (306 Mount Carmel Road in Hereford or 8375 Pulaski Highway in Rosedale). Additionally, they offered some tips for pedestrians and drivers to stay safe on the roads:

Drivers

• Stop for pedestrians–Maryland law requires motorists to stop for pedestrians in marked crosswalks and intersections.
• Obey the speed limit. Speeding only makes it more difficult to stop unexpectedly.
• Motorists should be more cautious during peak trick-or-treating hours between 4 and 9 p.m.
• Enter and exit driveways slowly.
• Be alert for children darting across the street.
• Watch for children crossing between parked cars.
• When driving children to and from different activities, make sure all seat belts are fastened and let children out of the car on the curbside.
• Never drink and drive. Designate a sober driver.

Pedestrians

• Look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.
• Cross at crosswalks or intersections.
• Be sure to see and be seen. Avoid dark clothing, wear bright colors and use reflective devices such as vests and blinking lights.
• Avoid costumes that may impair vision.
• Make eye contact with drivers when crossing the street.
• Stay alert and be on the lookout for cars traveling above the speed limit.

Patch wishes you a happy and safe Halloween!