The Sarnia Police Service is reminding parents to make sure their kids have a safe and happy Halloween.
Constable Nelson Amaral said the biggest thing motorists can do is slow down.
"Drivers need to significantly reduce their speed and remember, there may be children running across streets focused on one thing, candy," said Constable Amaral. "Expect more pedestrians on city streets who may not be paying attention to cars on the road. Kids should slow down as well. Walk, don't run from house to house and avoid zig-zagging across the street. Stick to the sidewalks wherever possible, cross at street corners and always remember to look both ways."
He said parents should make sure that there's no danger of trick-or-treaters tripping because their costumes are too long or baggy.
Police say make-up and face paint is better than a mask that can restrict vision, and children should carry a flashlight and add reflective tape to their costumes.
The Sarnia Police Service has a limited number of reflective wristbands at its front desk. They're free of charge, thanks to the generosity of local business owners.
Parents are also reminded to examine their kids' treats before they eat them, and to throw out any that have tears in the wrappers or appear to have been tampered with.
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SARNIA POLICE SERVICE “13” HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS
1. HALLOWEEN CAN BE A CHILLY NIGHT SO MAKE SURE COSTUMES ARE LOOSE ENOUGH TO BE WORN OVER WARM CLOTHING. MAKE SURE CLOTHING IS NOT SO BAGGY OR LONG THAT TRICK OR TREATERS CAN TRIP OVER THEIR COSTUMES.
2. CHOOSE BRIGHTLY COLOURED CLOTHING THAT WILL BE CLEARLY VISIBLE TO MOTORISTS. FOR GREATER VISIBILITY, CARRY A FLASHLIGHT AND ADD RETRO-REFLECTIVE TAPE TO THE COSTUME.
3. MAKE-UP AND FACE PAINT ARE BETTER THAN WEARING A MASK WHICH CAN RESTRICT BREATHING AND/OR VISION. IF YOU CHOOSE A MASK, MAKE SURE IT ALLOWS THE CHILD TO SEE AND BREATH EASILY.
4. SWORDS, KNIVES AND SIMILAR ACCESSORIES SHOULD BE MADE OF SOFT, FLEXIBLE MATERIAL.
5. LOOK FOR COSTUMES, BEARDS AND WIGS LABELLED “FLAME RESISTANT” NYLON OR HEAVY WEIGHT POLYESTER COSTUMES ARE BEST. FLAME RESISTANT DOES NOT MEAN ‘FIRE PROOF’. AVOID COSTUMES WITH BAGGY SLEEVES OR FLOWING SKIRTS TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF CONTACT WITH CANDLES AND OTHER FIRE SOURCES.
6. AVOID TRIPPING HAZARDS BY NOT RUNNING ACROSS FRONT YARDS OR OVER ANY LANDSCAPED AREAS. USE PAVED PATHWAYS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
7. MAKE YOUR HOME SAFE FOR TRICK-OR-TREATERS. REMOVE ALL OBJECTS AROUND YOUR HOUSE THAT COULD CAUSE CHILDREN TO TRIP OR FALL. TURN YOUR OUTSIDE LIGHT ON SO CHILDREN WILL KNOW THEY CAN VISIT YOUR HOME. DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO ANSWER YOUR DOOR IF YOU DO NOT FEEL SAFE.
8. KEEP CANDLES, JACK-O-LANTERNS, MATCHES AND LIGHTERS IN A PLACE THAT CHILDREN CANNOT REACH.
9. TELL YOUR CHILDREN NOT TO EAT ANY GOODIES UNTIL YOU SEE THEM. MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD EATS DINNER OR A SNACK BEFORE THEY GO OUT, SO THEY’LL BE LESS TEMPTED TO EAT THEIR CANDY ALONG THE WAY.
10. CHILDREN SHOULD STAY IN KNOWN/WELL-LIT AREAS AND SHOULD ONLY VISIT HOMES THAT HAVE THEIR OUTSIDE LIGHTS ON. CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER GO INSIDE HOMES OR CARS. DO NOT GO ANYWHERE WITH A STRANGER.
11. CHILDREN SHOULD WALK, NOT RUN, FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE. AVOID “ZIG-ZAGGING” BY STAYING ON THE SIDEWALK OR AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FACING TRAFFIC, CROSS THE ROAD AT THE CORNER AND LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING THE ROAD.
12. EXAMINE TREATS BEFORE YOU EAT THEM! GOODIES ARE THE BEST PART OF HALLOWEEN, BUT BEFORE YOUR CHILDREN BEGIN TO EAT THEIR LOOT, MAKE SURE YOU EXAMINE IT FIRST. THROW OUT ANY TREATS THAT ARE NOT WRAPPED INCLUDING THOSE IN TORN OR LOOSE PACKAGES. INSPECT COMMERCIALLY WRAPPED TREATS FOR SIGNS OF TAMPERING, SUCH AS AN UNUSUAL APPEARANCE OR DISCOLOURATION, TINY PINHOLES, OR TEARS IN WRAPPERS. THROW AWAY ANYTHING THAT LOOKS SUSPICIOUS. IF YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN TAMPERED WITH, CONTACT THE POLICE.
13. SLOW DOWN! DRIVERS NEED TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THEIR SPEED ON HALLOWEEN. PLEASE REMEMBER, THERE WILL BE NUMEROUS KIDS RUNNING ACROSS NEIGHBOURHOOD STREETS FOCUSED ON ONE THING….CANDY! EXPECT AN INCREASE OF PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ON CITY STREETS, WHO AS A RESULT OF THE EXCITEMENT OF HALLOWEEN, MAY NOT BE PAYING ATTENTION TO VEHICLE TRAFFIC.
