**A FRAMER:** The Hull Lifesaving Museum’s Spooktacular Hull-O-Ween Pumpkin Trail last weekend featured fun for the whole family. Some of the happy guests included four-month old Willow with Dad Jordan Kellem and four-year-old brother Parker, as well as grandmother Nanci Jaye. The museum and its grounds were overflowing with carved pumpkins and other holiday decorations to celebrate the season. [Skip Tull photo]

Halloween is almost here, so now is the time to plan for a safe and happy celebration. Official trick-or-treating hours will be between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Hull-O-Ween – Friday, October 31.

Hull Police Chief John Dunn asks parents to be vigilant and cautious and wished all a happy and safe Halloween.

Below are some tips from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the police department to help you and your loved ones enjoy a safe and happy celebration.

Costume safety

• All costumes, wigs, and accessories should be fire-resistant. If you make your costume, use flame-resistant fabrics such as polyester or nylon.

• Face masks can reduce peripheral vision. An alternative is face makeup. If a face mask is necessary, make sure the children know to take off the mask before crossing the street.

• When buying Halloween makeup, ensure it is non-toxic and always test it 24-48 hours in advance in a small area. If a rash, redness, swelling, or other signs of irritation develop, that’s a sign of a possible allergy.

• Remove all makeup before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation.

• Don’t decorate your face with things not intended for your skin.

• Don’t wear decorative or colored contact lenses that appear to change how your eyes look due to the risk of eye injury, unless you have seen an eyecare professional for a proper fitting and have been given instructions on how to use the lenses.

• If children are allowed out after dark, they should fasten reflective tape to their costumes and bags or be given flashlights or glow sticks.

Trick-or-Treating safety

According to the National Safety Council, children are more than twice as likely to be struck by a car on Halloween than on any other day of the year. To help prevent such a tragedy, parents and trick-or-treaters are urged to consider these tips before heading out:

• A responsible adult should accompany young children on the neighborhood rounds.

• If your older children are going alone, plan and review a route acceptable to you.

• Agree on a specific time children should return home.

• Teach your children never to enter a stranger’s home or car.

• Plan the trick or treating route ahead of time and travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and stick with friends.

• Cross streets only at corners. Never cross the street behind or between parked cars or in the middle of the block.

• Tell your children not to eat any treats until they return home.

• Children and adults are reminded to put electronic devices down, keep their heads up and walk, not run, across the street.

• Homeowners should keep their pets away from kids in costumes, as they may become frightened.

Driving safety

The following tips, courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, can help keep the roads safe:

• On Halloween, there will likely be more pedestrians on the roads and in places where they are not expected. Slower speeds save lives. Continue to scan the road in areas where they are likely to be or where sight distances are limited.

• Be alert for pedestrians who may emerge from between parked cars or behind shrubbery. Stop and wait for them to pass.

• Don’t drive distracted. Keep your eyes on the road, your mind on driving, and your hands on the wheel.

• Don’t drive impaired. Designate a sober driver or use a taxi or ride-share service. Contact law enforcement if you see a potentially impaired driver on the road.

• Remember that social host liability laws may hold you responsible for parties where underage people drink, regardless of who furnishes the alcohol. You could be held legally accountable for your guests’ behavior after they leave.

• Discourage new, inexperienced drivers from driving on Halloween.

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