Halloween safety tips for costumes, traffic and candy

Deputies and costume experts recommend visible clothing, properly fitted masks, close supervision and checking every piece of candy.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is reminding families to take precautions while trick-or-treating this Halloween, including wearing visible costumes, watching for traffic and checking candy before children eat it.

41NBC spoke with a local costume shop and law enforcement about choosing safe costumes, trick-or-treating tips and what parents should look for when checking their kids’ candy.

Bibb County Sgt. Sahkera Wooten says drivers should be extra cautious on Halloween with more children out walking through neighborhoods.

“There will be several kids out walking door to door and walking on the sidewalks,” Wooten said. “Slow down. Drive at a decent speed, especially in residential areas. Make sure that the kids are in reflective gear. That means the kids are out, so please just slow down.”

Parents are also being reminded to check their children’s candy before they eat it and report anything suspicious to law enforcement.

“If something looks suspicious, they should report it to the sheriff’s office immediately,” Wooten said. “But also throw that candy out; there are several replicas of candy now that may look like drugs. So, examine your kids’ candy, make sure there isn’t anything open or the wrappers are not torn or ripped.”

Kim Wendler and Amanda Upshaw, the owner and manager of The Party Store in Warner Robins, say to choose costumes that fit properly and have bright colors to help kids stay safe and visible.

“They need to look for a costume that’s going to fit their child properly,” Wendler said. “You don’t want to wear a costume that is oversized, because the last thing you want to be doing is tripping on Halloween night.”

“The characters, Paw Patrol, that kind of thing,” Upshaw said. “They’re safe. They’re warm. Brighter colors, so they’re easier to be seen, if your little one gets away from you.”

Parents should also make sure masks fit properly and don’t block a child’s vision.

“Well kids love to wear them masks, and as long as they can see out of them properly, then they should have no problem wearing the mask,” Wendler said.

“If it is too big or slides down; usually it’s safer to just use makeup to represent the mask,” Upshaw said.

Parents are encouraged to stay close to their little ones, make sure they can be seen in the dark and check their candy before they dig in.