Tips On Helping Kids Walk Safely On Halloween (NAPSA)—Manyparents find Halloween almost as frightening as their children do—but not because of the ghosts and gobblins. Experts say the holiday is one of the most dangerous times of the year for children to walk because they will be out trick-ortreating in the dark when it is harderfor drivers to see them. That’s why it can be a particu- larly good time for parents to remind kids of the rules for navigating streets and sidewalks. Cross streets safely. Cross at the corner. Try to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. Don’t assume that because you can see the driver, the driver can see you. Lookleft, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. Walk, don’t run, across Fae CER WERod CTS) Choose costumesthat are light colored and can be seen easily by drivers in the dark. Decorate darker costumes with reflective materials to increasevisibility. Eichelberger, co-founder and chairman of Safe Kids Worldwide. EKichelberger and the child the street. pedestrian safety experts at Safe Kids offer these tips to keep kids facing traffic as far to the left as Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers e Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings. Children under age 10 should not be out walking alone without adult supervision. Children under age 12 should not be out walking alone at night. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, they should stick to a prede- termined route with goodlight. Be a safe pedestrian around cars. Watch for cars that are turn- ing or backing up. Never dart out into the street or cross in between parkedcars. Also, it’s important to remember that the excitement of the holiday can be distracting to both drivers and children. “Parents have many concerns on Halloween and we need to remember that kids must be reminded about safety while walking before they head out,” says Dr. Martin safe: and, if possible, choose light colors. Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision. Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights in order to see bet- ter as well as be seen by drivers. Parents also need to keep in mind that there are other potential hazards for children on that night. For instance, kids should be remindedto only eat treats in original, unopened wrappers and to throw away candyif the wrapperis faded, torn or if the candy is unwrapped. Safe Kids Worldwide and program sponsor FedEx created the Safe Kids Walk This Way pro- gram to help prevent pedestrian-related injury to children. For more information, visit www.usa.safekids.org/wtw.
