Trick-or-Treat caution

Last night, as I returned from trick-or-treat at my parents' house, I thought about all the Halloween hype and the real dangers of the holiday (we spent beggar's night at my parents' house because they had friends and family over for hot dogs and s'mores). In my opinion, parents need not worry much about poisonous candy and boogey-men but rather the simple dangers that are associated with young kids running around in the dark in floor-length costumes. Before your child heads out, ask yourself: What is the likelihood that a driver will see your child if she darts out in the street? Is your child carrying a flashlight? Is your child trick-or-treating in a well-lit area? Is your child wearing roller shoes? Is your child's costume hitting the ground, or is his mask making it hard for him to see where he is going? These concerns are the real concerns of trick-or-treating. I encourage everyone to be extra cautious this time of year as children are running around after dark, wearing dark-colored costumes, and lacking the proper gear (reflectors or a flashlight) for a night-time outing. 

Happy Halloween!

Children & Cars

A nearby community suffered a great loss over the weekend when a young boy was struck and killed by a driver in a parking lot. The tragedy occurred during a morning of sports games at a local sports field. The young boy (4-years-old) was leaving a youth league football game with his family (his father is a coach) when he was struck by a pickup truck that was driving in the crowded parking lot. The boy was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead. 

This incident is especially concerning because of the environment in which it occured. I would hope that drivers in a youth field parking lot would be especially cautious knowing how many children are running around. I would also hope that drivers would be driving slowly so that if an accident did occur, the impact would be minimal. And this little guy was with his family, meaning that his parents were present, and I imagine that other adults were nearby when the accident happened.

But this tragedy demonstrates that you can never be too careful. These things happen so quickly, and I imagine that the many cars and people in the parking lot had something to do with the likelihood of this accident. 

There is a national organization that aims to prevent accidents like this. Kids and Cars' mission is "to assure no child dies or is injured in a non-traffic, motor vehicle related event." They believe that these types of accidents are preventable, and they offer valuable resources geared toward preventing a child from being injured or killed. They offer specific resources including information regarding the following topics:

• Backed Over by Vehicle (Backovers)
• Hit By Vehicle Moving Forward (Frontovers)
• Car Theft With Child In Vehicle
• Children Left in Vehicle (Heat Stroke Or Hyperthermia)
• Incidents Involving Power Windows
• Vehicle Set in Motion by a Child
• Underage Drivers

I urge everyone to peruse the Kids and Cars website - these incidents truly are easily preventable.

*I realize that some of the above statements might seem blameful, and I realize that this incident was merely an accident. I only point out that the situation appeared to be harmless because it helps us to understand how even "safe" situations can have unexpected and serious concerns.