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Keep child safety in mind this Halloween

Editor:

It's hard to believe that Halloween is almost here. I can tell you that all the Boys & Girls Club kids are excited, and they cannot wait to hit the streets, with mom and dad in tow, this Wednesday.

In fact, hitting the streets is exactly what I'm writing in about. Come about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Havre, and the rest of the county, will experience a phenomena unlike any other. Streets usually calm will begin to bustle. Doors closed tight to keep out the cold will burst open. And, neighborhoods accustom to settling down for dinner, will suddenly be swarmed with hundreds of little costumed bodies screaming Trick or treat, trick or treat.

This is a fun time of the year for kids and many of them will let their excitement run wild. That's why we parents need to be especially mindful this Halloween while we drive, or walk, our children door to door. Those of us walking need to watch for vehicles. You may think a vehicle driver sees you when in fact they are looking at the zombies on the other side of the street. Keep your children close and talk to them about safe street crossing.

For those of us driving, Drive slowly. You will never see all the children who are out and about on this wild night. Children will run in front of your vehicle and behind it. Many of them are far too excited to remember basic road safety. It's up to us drivers to be extra careful on Halloween and to slow down.

Equally important are your own little passengers. Nothing would be easier than to let them bounce around in the back seat while you drive door to door. You aren't driving very fast, so they don't really need to be buckled, right? Wrong. A 50-pound child in a 25 mph crash will have 1,250 pounds of force exerted on their body. A 200-pound adult in the same crash will have 5,000 pounds of force exerted on their body. Those amount of force can kill.

Children need to be buckled every trip, every time. It's not only the law, it's good sense. Let's all make this a safe and fun Halloween for everyone. Drive smart, slow down and buckle up, every trip, every time.

Mary Owens

Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line

 

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