Tips to stay safe while out on Halloween

AUSTIN, Texas - It is Halloween and parents are getting their kids ready to go trick or treating. And as fun as the night can be, there are some dangers to avoid. 

Kristen Hullum, a registered nurse with St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, joined FOX 7 Austin's Rebecca Thomas to discuss.

REBECCA: We don't want to rain on anyone's parade. It's going to be a fun night. But when it comes to little kids, obviously they need to be accompanied by adults. How can parents set their kids up to be safe and have fun in their costumes while trick or treating? 

KRISTEN: Yeah, I think we've got some really excited kids, including my own, for trick or treating tonight, but we definitely want to be thinking about safety. And so there are a couple of different things. When you're putting your kids in costumes, you know, one, you want to just make sure they're not going to trip over anything. A lot of these costumes tend to be pretty long and drag the ground. If that's a mask, it can be very hard for them to see where they're going. So, honestly, makeup is the preferable choice over a mask and then, you know, carrying a flashlight around just so that they can see, you know, where they're going, encouraging them to stay on the sidewalks. I think I see a lot of kids so excited to go to the next house. They race across somebody's yard and there's, you know, pavers or strings from inflatables. So those are all tripping hazards. The next thing you just want to think about is making sure your kids are really visible to drivers. All of this is mostly taking place after dark. Some of the littles might get by with a little bit more light at the beginning, but it's really hard for drivers to see, especially if these costumes are dark. So drivers, please be sure that you're really slowing down in the neighborhood. You're watching very carefully for groups of trick or treaters and kids who might even just start out, you know, into the street. 

REBECCA: All right. Let's talk about older kids. They often go trick or treating in groups, leaving their parents behind. Its situational awareness might not be top of mind for them. Talk about some of the distractions they need to avoid. 

KRISTEN: Yeah. So, hopefully, they're focused on having fun and not their cell phones. But of course, we see a lot of kids walking around, you know, on their phones looking down. They, again, may not be watching where they're going. They may, you know, cross the street without really thinking about cars, and they're not very visible. I think it's usually safest for them to stay in a group. They're not, you know, with an adult, then stay in a group, stay together and maybe consider just going to homes where you feel comfortable with those neighbors. 

REBECCA: And once the night is over, kids are back home with their haul of candy. They might want to dig in, but not so fast. 

KRISTEN: Right now, I think, you know, you just want to consider any food allergies, of course, that your kids have and just take a minute for parents to be able to comb through all the candy. I would advise that it be, you know, packaged from the manufacturer and not necessarily some of the homemade goodies that we see. And then I really, you know, worry about choking hazards for small kids. So these hard candies, the job breakers and other types of hard candies are really only appropriate for kids over the age of five because even at age four and five, they can still choke on that type of candy. 

REBECCA: Any other safety tips for parents and drivers who might be on the road tonight? 

KRISTEN: Drivers, if you're going to have some Halloween fun yourself, be sure that you're drinking responsibly and that you're not going to get behind the wheel. Even just 1 to 2 drinks can can impair that driving. So be sure that you're choosing a designated driver or doing a rideshare. And then the last thing for parents is just to make sure their kids are very visible in the dark to their to drivers. So have them well-lit. They can have some glow, a glow necklace. You can put reflective tape on their backs or on their bags and then carrying some flashlights just to make sure that drivers can see them. 

REBECCA: All right. Kristen Hullum with St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, thank you so much for sharing your time and your expertise with us tonight. Happy Halloween.