The OPP want you and your kids to be safe during this Halloween season.
Nothing puts a smile on a kids face like trick or treating. Although the Halloween season is a time of excitement, Upper Ottawa Valley OPP officer, Constable Peever, says it can also be a time of potential danger.
He enlisted many safety tips that parents and kids can follow in order to be safe this weekend and on Halloween night.
These tips are:
-Carry a flashlight and select a costume with bright colours and reflective material to increase visibility to drivers.
-Use makeup instead of masks. Masks can reduce one’s ability to see obstacles, vehicles and other people.
-Avoid baggy, long and oversized costumes that can be a tripping hazard.
-Walk, don’t run and remember to stop, look and listen before crossing the street.
-Never criss-cross the street. Cross at crosswalks or intersections. Call on one side of the street, then the other.
-Never trick or treat alone, go in a group or with an adult.
-If trick or treating with friends tell your parents/guardians your route and when you will be home.
-Stay in familiar neighbourhoods and only go to homes that are well lit and that are participating in Halloween.
-Never go inside a house to get your treat.
Peever also asks parents to be vigilant when it comes to candy stating that if any treats have a loose package or looks like it has been compromised, don’t take a chance and throw it out.
Motorists also play a big part in the success of the festivities. Peever says that drivers should slow down in residential areas and expect the unexpected.