CAA Saskatchewan urges safety on Halloween night

The night of fright is upon us, and with it comes the question of safety.

With kids focusing on candy and costumes, CAA Saskatchewan is asking parents to think about safety. Before kids leave the house, CAA’s Angel Blair asks that parents make sure their kids are prepared.

“When we talk about costumes, yes, we want bright at night costumes. We want children to have their view and their hearing,” Blair told the CKOM Morning Show. “Make sure that’s one of your biggest concerns because you need them to pay attention to what’s going on around them. So yes, make sure that they have makeup instead of a mask for better vision, use reflective tape, and they can carry a flashlight.”

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When it comes to trick-or-treating itself, Blair said parents should help their kids construct a plan of when and where they will go.

“When it’s so cold, the kids are going to want to warm up, so make sure you have the route planned ahead,” she said. “Plan a group that they can go with. It’s easier to be seen, they’re more visible for people, and it’s just basically safer.”

Blair said that with the excitement of showing off their costumes and getting candy, kids may forget to follow the rules of the road.

“We want to remind you to cross the street at intersections and crosswalks and make sure that you stop and look and listen, be aware of your surroundings, and most importantly, we are going to remind you again to put away the cellphone and make sure you pay attention to things going on around you for trick-or-treating,” said Blair.

Once the night comes to a close, Blair recommends parents go through their kids’ candy.

“Obviously, you’re going to look for any open packages,” she said. “We would advise just taking a look through that candy bag with your children. You’re going to want to go through it with them.

“They’re excited (and) everyone’s excited. If they can wait till they’re home to eat all those goodies and then maybe go through it with them, it’s basic safety measures. When you’re talking about how there’s lots of kids with allergies, there’s going to be some stuff that’s not edible in there, and there’s probably going to be some choking hazards in there for the little ones.”

For drivers, there are some easy things to remember when on the roads. For the most part, Halloween trick-or-treating hours are from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Blair says if people don’t need to drive during that time, they shouldn’t.

“But if you do — and a lot of parents would like to drop off or pick up kids — make sure you’re using those common sense rules with your vehicle,” she said. “Make sure you have hazard lights and pull over if you need to make those stops with your kids. Make sure your headlights are on, and use your signal light. Make sure everyone else around you knows where you’re going.

“The other thing we want to remind drivers of is to put away your cellphones and turn down the music. It’s always fun to have some spooky music on, but make sure you can hear what’s going on when the kids are getting in and out of the vehicle or they’re coming and going, and then make sure you’re paying attention and not distracted. In a residential area or a school area, it’s even safer to go 10 kilometres (per hour) below that speed limit.”

With colder weather expected for Tuesday night, parents were reminded to make sure that their kids were prepared to brave the cold.