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Safely taking the tikes for a Halloween hike

Keeping the blood fake on America's scariest night means taking time to think through costuming choices and taking some precautions that will prevent children from tripping, getting hit by cars, or other possible hazards.

One mom told KRMG she takes the simplest precaution of all.

"Stay close to them. I walk up to every house with them," she said.

She also takes great pains to make sure her little ones are highly visible in the dark neighborhood.

"We carry a flashlight, reflectors, we put little reflecting stickers on the pumpkins so we don't have to mess up our costumes with them. Shoes... I light to get the light-up shoes. Not many kids have them, and I can see these guys from a mile away in them."

Mike Platten of SpotLite Magic and Costumes, 6808 S. Memorial in Tulsa, says his staff offers parents advice when they're looking to costume their kids.

"They've got to be able to see when they're walking around, you've got to realize it's dark outside," he told KRMG. "The other part is making sure the length of the costume is good for'em because we don't want kids out there tripping."

AAA Oklahoma offers excellent advice on Halloween safety:

Motorists

  • Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals. Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit to give yourself extra time to react to children who may dart into the street.
  • Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. In dark costumes, they'll be harder to see at night.
  • Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and may cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
  • Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.
  • Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.
  • Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and on front porches.

Parents

  • Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and light in color to improve visibility.
  • Be bright at night – wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and on treats buckets.
  • Wear disguises that don't obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. Instead, use nontoxic face paint. Also, watch the length of billowy costumes to help avoid tripping.
  • Ensure any props are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury from tripping or horseplay.
  • Ask an adult or older child to supervise children under age 12.
  • Plan and discuss the route your trick-or-treaters will follow.
  • Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
  • Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never to enter a stranger's home or garage.
  • Establish a time for children to return home.
  • Review trick-or-treating safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.

Trick-or-Treaters

  • Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in streets if possible.
  • If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
  • Look both ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street.
  • Cross streets only at the corner, and never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.
  • Trick-or-treat in a group if someone older cannot go with you.
  • Tell your parents where you are going.
  • Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries, and place it face down in the treats bucket to free up one hand. Never shine flashlights into the eyes of oncoming drivers.

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