Taekwondo Halloween safety tips for Halloween

FACT: Nearly 50% of all pedestrian deaths take place between the hours of 6 p.m. and midnight (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). Throughout Illinois, that's prime trick-or-treat time.

Halloween is a fun and memorable holiday for ghost and goblins of all sizes. The Illinois Taekwondo State Association (ITSA) would like to provide the following tips to Illinois children so they can keep their parents safe this Halloween.

• T- trick-or-treat as a group. Kids should make sure their parents stay together and do not wonder off.

• A- avoid letting parents fall too far behind. Parents can get a little slow sometimes, stay at a pace in which they can keep up.

• E- everyone should ensure his or her parents know their exact address and can recite it. Younger children might have to go over this with their mummy and daddy several times until parents can do it by themselves.

• K- know your parents phone numbers. You should make sure you memorize your mom and dad's phone numbers; incase they get lost, you can have a Illinois police officer call them.

• W- wear bright or reflective clothing. Drivers on busy roads might have a hard time seeing your parent; keep them visible!

• O- observe all traffic rules and stop signs. Just because it is Halloween does not mean parents should just dart out into the road. Make sure they stop and look both ways before crossing the road. You might even want to hold their hand!

• N- never let parents eat any of the candy before you have had a chance to inspect it together.

• D- don't allow parents to cut across yards; garden hoses, tree roots, or other objects can cause them to trip.

• O- organize a meeting location. Just incase mom or dad become separated, pick a designated location to meet back up.

“The most important rule is to have fun and enjoy the memories,” stated Luciano Medina, President of ITSA.