Features

Beware of the dangerous side of Halloween: Pedestrian safety, superstitions and more

Ashley Turner, Senior Editor • October 31, 2023

Incorporating reflective material or bright colors into your costume can increase pedestrian visibility, especially when involving children.

With Halloween should come caution. The beloved holiday brings much excitement yearly, however, some suffer from its repercussions. Low visibility and superstitions are only a few among the many threats of Halloween. The importance of staying aware and taking certain precautions is essential to ensuring an enjoyable night.

Halloween is one of the most unsafe days of the year for children. With the holiday, the increased number of reckless drivers and children crossing the street to trick or treat raises the risk of a car accident. There are many tactics to protect children in your neighborhood. Always having an adult with your child is a simple way to ensure the utmost protection. Including reflective stickers on a child’s costume will increase visibility. The neighborhood can also influence the safety of children. Choosing to trick or treat in well-lit streets can have a huge impact on the night.

Superstitions, while seemingly harmless, have instigated many safety concerns, most specifically with black cats. This certain cat species has been a target of assault and abuse to such an extreme extent that organizations have been created to protect them, especially on Halloween. Taking precautions could save their lives. Even if your cat tends to roam outdoors or around the neighborhood, bringing them into the safety of your home is a measure that would not be extreme in such a case. Sophomore Nora Ghattas is no stranger to the dangers her black cat faces on the holiday.

“The only time I am ever really nervous about my cat is on Halloween,” said Ghattas. “My family just tries to make sure that Perry is indoors just because of things we see on the news.”

Further dangers threaten not only children, but also other ages on Halloween. With the recent raised concerns over fentanyl and the razor blades a few years ago, candy can hide life-threatening substances that were tampered to appear normal at first glance. These dangers could be easily prevented when amassing candy from events.

A quick examination of the contents involves checking for unsealed wrappers, unusual appearances and uncommon brands. If you have suspicions about a piece of candy, simply throwing it away into an unreachable trash can from children and pets is much safer than taking the risk. A candy check can be brief, but can also be life-saving.