Costumes are being dusted off, new ones are being made, jack-o-lanterns are being carved and the legend of Sleepy Hollow lives on with the headless horseman.
There is excitement in the air as families and children in the metropolitan area decorate their homes for both a fun and sometimes frightful night.
Whether you plan to trick or to treat in or out of your neighborhood, watch the Greenwich Village parade, a parade in your hometown, or just stay at home and hand out treats to your neighbor’s children, please remember these tips. All of us at Fellows Hymowitz Rice want the holiday to be memorable one.
Pedestrian Accidents
Increased foot traffic on Halloween places pedestrians at greater risk of being struck by a car.
- Always have an adult accompany younger children.
- Tell your kids to look both ways before crossing the street. Don’t cross the block in the middle of the street. Use your eyes to look out. Use your ears to hear.
- Don’t jay walk but look for a crosswalk or a cross street.
- Watch out for costumes that are long and drag along the ground. Too often this is a tripping hazard for children.
- Stay Visible – trick or treat with a flashlight or wear a reflective vest. This way motorists will see you. This is especially a good idea if a child wears a dark costume and is out after dark.
- Use the Sidewalk – a safer place for pedestrians. Walking on the street carries with it more risk. There is a higher volume of people outside and more motorists using the road so a sidewalk greatly reduces the risk of being struck by a car.
- Use the Buddy System – when you trick-or-treat have a buddy and travel in groups. There is safety in numbers!
- Always have a parent or responsible adult accompany young children when they make neighborhood rounds.
- Agree in advance on a specific time when your kid should return home.
Drunk Driving Accidents
NEVER EVER Drink & Drive – some of us go to Halloween parties to celebrate with friends and family. Regardless of how much you drink, have a designated driver who doesn’t drink and never get behind a wheel if you are impaired or intoxicated.
- Consider using a car service.
- Consider staying put and just sleeping over.
- If you are impaired or drunk and you injure, maim or kill someone, you will need a criminal attorney after you are indicted for a felony.
Abductions
Pedophiles consider Halloween to be an opportunity. Always remind your children that no matter what do not talk with a stranger who calls out to them or drives close by in a vehicle or offers them candy. If your child does not know the person, just tell them to ignore and keep walking in the opposite direction.
Candy Safety
Here are some simple rules whether tricking or treating or eating Halloween candy.
- Tell your children never to enter a stranger’s home.
- Throw away candy that is not wrapped securely. If it’s not wrapped, it should end up in the garbage.
- Inspect candy that is wrapped for foreign objects such as pins, thumbtacks or razor blades.
It is a sad reality that we have to drive home the importance of child safety by telling our children in a way that does not alarm and makes them feel secure with the “do’s and don’ts” of Halloween.
Fellows Hymowitz Rice wishes all of our friends and neighbors and their children a safe and Happy Halloween!
At Fellows Hymowitz Rice, we believe that the Right Lawyers Make a Real Difference