Keep the frights fun and treats sweet this Halloween
Oct. 28, 2024
Editor's note: This blog was originally published Oct. 30, 2023.
Halloween may be a night for horrors, but nothing frightens the staff of our Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and State Fire Marshal (SFM) division like the hazards that come along with it.
Let's keep it safe for our littlest Minnesotans as they enjoy their night of monsters, fairy tales and ghouls.
Last Halloween saw the total number of driving while impaired (DWI) incidents go down compared to the year before, but it was still last year's worst holiday for DWIs. Halloween holiday weekend (Thursday through Sunday in 2022) had the most DWI incidents per hour (3.73) among all the major holidays. There was a total of 358 DWI incidents over the Halloween holiday period last year, compared to 379 the year prior.
Drivers can keep kids safe by:
- Stowing the cell phones. Hands-free cell phone use is the law.
- Driving especially careful after dark.
- Not driving under the influence of any impairing substance. Remember that if you feel different, you drive different, whether it's from alcohol, cannabis, prescription medications or other substances.
Partying with friends and family can be so much fun but keep it safe. Plan a safe ride home so you're not behind the wheel.
Parents, you've got things you can do to keep your trick-or-treaters safe. Halloween is a time for fun and spooky activities, but some of those bring truly scary fire hazards along with them.
Halloween costumes are cute, but many are made from flimsy fabric that can catch fire easily. Stay away from costumes that include long trailing fabric that can end up in a lit pumpkin before you even notice. Also, if your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so they can see out.
Tell your kids to stay away from all open flames, including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. Have them practice stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with their hands and rolling over and over to put the flames out.
Spooky decorations help set the Halloween mood, but they can be dangerous if you're not careful. Decorations are the first thing to ignite in roughly 800 reported home fires each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. More than a third of those were started by a candle.
Keep decorations away from open flames or electric heaters. Use battery operated candles or glow sticks inside jack-o-lanterns, rather than real candles.
Whether you're a kid or just a kid at heart, Halloween should be scary but safe. And with a few simple precautions, you'll come away with fun memories instead of tragedy.
