The Hollister Police and Fire departments are asking residents
to take a few steps to ensure all local families have a happy and
safe Halloween.
”
We want everyone to have fun and stay safe at the same time,
”
said Capt. Richard Vasquez of the Hollister Police
Department.
Vasquez and Hollister Fire Marshal Mike O’Connor said.
The Hollister Police and Fire departments are asking residents to take a few steps to ensure all local families have a happy and safe Halloween.
“We want everyone to have fun and stay safe at the same time,” said Capt. Richard Vasquez of the Hollister Police Department.
Vasquez and Hollister Fire Marshal Mike O’Connor said. Halloween has traditionally been a pretty safe and uneventful pastime, with the exception of a few serious incidents.
“A number of years back, we had an incident where two girls were hit by a car that was going pretty fast down San Benito Street,” O’Connor said.
Vasquez echoed O’Connor’s concern about children and cars on Halloween.
“It has been pretty safe, but one of the big problems is that kids tend to dart out into traffic,” Vasquez said.
He said often between the amount of sugar children are eating and the excitement of the moment, they don’t check as carefully as they should when crossing the street.
“That’s why I think it’s better to have painted faces than wear masks, because painted faces don’t obstruct their vision the way masks can,” Vasquez said.
State traffic statistics back up Vasquez and O’Connor’s call for parents and children to be more aware on Halloween.
“Pedestrian traffic fatalities are already a great risk for children. On Halloween, that danger increases by 400 percent,” warns AAA of Northern California spokesman Sean Comey.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 40 percent of pedestrian fatalities for people under 16 years old occurred between 5 and 9 p.m. Adding to the potential danger, daylight savings time ended the week of Halloween, making the night skies dark an hour earlier.
AAA recommends parents use retro-reflective material on their children’s costumes. Retro-reflective material reflects light back directly toward the source of the light, like a car’s headlights, rather than diffusing in all directions. The material can be cut into creative shapes and glued or sewn onto costumes for better visibility.
Halloween safety tips:
– Parents should inspect any candy or treats their children receive.
– Parents should always accompany children when trick-or-treating.
– Select costumes, masks, wigs and beards made of flame-retardant materials.
– Use make-up instead of a mask. If children do wear a mask, be sure they take it off before crossing streets.
– Plan the trick-or treat route ahead of time, selecting well-lighted streets.
– Remind children to cross the streets only at corners and never to cross between parked cars or mid-block.
– Only go to homes with a porch light on.
– Never eat unwrapped food items or open beverages.
– Be careful with candles used for decorations and make sure they are kept away from all combustible items.
– Whenever possible, have children travel in groups.
