As children take to the streets this Halloween, the Signal Hill Police Department wants to remind motorists and parents to keep trick-or-treaters safe. Here are a few safety tips:
Motorists
• Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals.
• Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit to give yourself extra time to react to any children who may dart out into the street.
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. In dark costumes, they’ll be harder to see at night.
• Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
• Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.
• Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and front porches.
Parents
• Ensure than an adult or older, responsible youth is available to supervise youth under age 12.
• Plan and discuss the route your trick-or-treaters will follow.
• Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
• Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and never to enter a stranger’s home or garage.
• Establish a time for children to return home.
• Tell children not to eat treats until they get home.
• Review trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.
Trick-or-treaters
• Be bright at night – wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and treat buckets to improve visibility to motorists and others.
• Wear disguises that don’t obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. Instead, use nontoxic face paint. Also, watch the length of billowy costumes to help avoid tripping.
• Ensure any props are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury from tripping or horseplay.
• Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries, and place it facedown in the treat bucket to free up one hand. Never shine it into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
• Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in streets if possible.If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
• Look both ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street.
• Cross streets only at the corner, and never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.
• Trick-or-treat in a group if someone older cannot go with you.
• Tell your parents where you are going.
