Mechanicsburg, Pa. – More than any other day of the year, children are twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween. The American Trauma Society, PA Division (ATSPA) and Safe Kids PA are teaming up to bring awareness to safety issues around trick-or-treating and to provide alternatives that might save a life.
“COVID-19 is likely to change plans for many families over the fall holidays,” said ATSPA CEO, Krista Brands. “Due to COVID-19, your community may not be hosting traditional trick-or-treating house to house.”
As positive cases of COVID-19 are spiking, some parents may be concerned with traditional trick-or-treating. The following are suggestions deemed “low risk” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them.
- Decorating your house, apartment or living space.
- A Halloween scavenger hunt for Halloween items, candy or age appropriate trinkets.
- A virtual Halloween costume contest.
- A Halloween movie marathon.
Halloween costumes can increase the risk of injury to children. The following tips will ensure your children’s costumes are safe.
- Avoid baggy outfits and flowing cloaks.
- Shoes should be comfortable with laces securely tied to avoid tripping.
- Be sure to buy costumes that are labeled as flame resistant.
- Avoid costumes and props with sharp edges.
- Unique costumes are recommended so your child is easy to pick out in a crowd.
- Use hypoallergenic face paints.
- Use reflective tape and glow sticks to make sure drivers can clearly see your child as they cross the street.
- Be sure to maintain social distancing, use hand sanitizer and wear a facemask.
The American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division is a non-profit organization committed to trauma prevention and mitigation through education and advocacy. Our work includes providing presentations and educational materials on many trauma prevention topics, including concussions, water safety, senior falls, bike safety, traffic safety and much more. For information, call 717-766-1616 and visit www.atspa.org.
Safe Kids Pennsylvania is an organization dedicated to the prevention of and education around unintentional childhood injuries, which are the number one killer of children throughout the USA. These injuries range from accidental falls, poisonings, car crashes and child passenger safety, drowning, and many more. Safe Kids Pennsylvania is one of many statewide coalitions under Safe Kids Worldwide, and is led by the American Trauma Society, PA Division. For more information on Safe Kids PA, visit our website at https://www.pasafekids.org/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/safekidspa/.
