(SUDBURY, ON) – As Halloween is quickly approaching, members of the Nipissing West Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) wish to remind all parents and children to practice safety precautions to make the evening a memorable one.
Children and Parents:
- 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 with a buddy, 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 stranger’s house to get your treat.
- Always have your treats checked by an adult before eating them.
Motorists:
- Drive slowly in residential areas where children are more likely to be trick or treating. Watch out for children, many of whom may be wearing costumes with masks that make it difficult for them to see. Children are excited; they may dart out in traffic.
- Remember that costumes can limit a child’s vision and they may not be able to see your vehicle.
- Reduce your distractions and stay alert.
- Remember to enter and exit driveways slowly and carefully. Proceed with caution.
- Put down your phone for safety sake!
- Never drive while impaired!
”Ghosts, goblins, witches and superheroes will be flooding the streets in our communities this Halloween night. With the distraction of candy and costumes, safety rules can easily be forgotten. Whether you are helping prepare your child to enjoy their night with other trick-or-treaters, are a parent supervisor or a motorist, it is important to keep safety in mind”, says Inspector Michael Maville, Detachment Commander of the Nipissing West OPP.
For more information on Halloween safety visit: https://kidsintheknow.ca/pdfs/KIK_SafetyHabitsHalloween2019_en.pdf
For more information on how you can celebrate Halloween in a COVID-safe way, visit the Public Health Sudbury & Districts website: https://www.phsd.ca/keep-covid-19-out-of-the-halloween-fright-take-precautions-and-plan-for-a-safe-night/
Consider printing one of the attached posters to let your neighbours know if you are handing out treats this year.
