City of Ponca City offers Halloween Safety Tips

The City of Ponca City has issued the following safety tips for the upcoming Halloween holiday:

Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of
the year. To help ensure adults and children have a safe holiday, the American Academy of Pediatrics has
compiled a list of Halloween safety tips:
• First and foremost, follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines to ensure
your celebrations are safe.
• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective.
• Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement,
or contact with flame.
• All costumes, wigs, and accessories should be fire-resistant
• If children are allowed out after dark, fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags or use glow sticks
• When buying Halloween makeup, make sure it is nontoxic and always test it in a small area first
• Remove all makeup before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation
• Avoid any sharp or long swords, canes, or sticks as a costume accessory. Your child can easily be hurt
by these accessories if he or she stumbles or trips.
• Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from an eye
care professional. While the packaging on decorative lenses will often make claims such as “one size
fits all,” or “no need to see an eye specialist,” obtaining decorative contact lenses without a
prescription is both dangerous and illegal.
• Always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds. If your older children are going
alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should
return home and obtain flashlights with batteries for everyone.
• Only go to homes with a porch light on.
• Never enter a home or car for a treat. Notify law enforcement authorities immediately about of any
suspicious or unlawful activity.
• Review with children how to call 9-1-1 if they have an emergency or become lost or prone to wander.
• Know how to reduce your child’s risk of a pedestrian injury:
o Stay in a group and communicate where they will be going.
o Remember reflective tape for costumes and trick-or-treat bags.
o Carry a cell phone for quick communication.
o Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
o If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
o Never cut across yards or use alleys.
o Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks.
o Never cross between parked cars or out of driveways.
o Don’t assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing trick-or-treaters. Just because one car
stops, doesn’t mean others will!
• For anyone who plans to be on the road during trick-or-treat hours:
o Watch for children walking on roadways, medians, and curbs
o Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully
o At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing
o Discourage new, inexperienced drivers from driving on Halloween
https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/tools-resources/seasonal-safety/autumn/halloween