Brentwood POA Encourages Safety During Halloween Festivities

The Brentwood Police Officers Association wishes everyone a happy Halloween today, however, they also want to remind folks that while today is fun for the kids, its also the day with the highest number of child pedestrian deaths all year.

Via social media, they put out these safety tips.

Have fun, but please be safe. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), Halloween has the unfortunate distinction as the day with the highest number of child pedestrian deaths all year, and ranks among the worst for holiday-related DUI crashes and deaths. Here are some trick or treating tips from OTS:

Parents need to take an active role on Halloween:

• Plan the route ahead of time, try and aim for well-lit streets, avoid high traffic areas and busy streets
• Choose costumes that make it easy for your kids to walk and be seen by drivers – light colored costumes are the best choice
• For darker-colored costumes, use retro-reflective tape to help make your child well-seen by drivers. Be creative in applying the tape to make it fun and easy to be seen
• Masks can sometimes obstruct a child’s path of vision, so make sure that when crossing the street they remove it or consider using makeup instead of a mask for added safety
• It’s best to trick-or-treat when it’s still light outside, but if you find yourselves out after dark carry a flashlight so that trick-or-treaters can see and so that drivers can see them
• Don’t run! Always walk and make sure the kids do too
• Cross only at corners and never cross between parked cars or in the middle of a block
• Wait until you get home to sort, check and eat treats. Even if you’re not behind the wheel, it is still important to remember to remain alert when near roads and busy areas
• Remember, even if you see a car, they may not be able to see you or your child until it’s too late