It’s always a good idea to keep your home, car and other property safe and secure. But with Halloween approaching, being careful is even more important as parents navigate the fine line between letting their kids have fun and keeping them safe.
The National Safety Council points out some scary statistics. In 2016, for example, 7,330 pedestrians died in traffic accidents and accidents that occurred on driveways, in parking lots or on private property, areas where both kids and adults need to be careful when they head out to have fun. The Council also reports that children are more than twice as likely to be struck by a car on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Trick-or-treaters need to be alert when they go out to fill their bags with candy and other goodies. Parents, meanwhile, need to follow safety rules as well when they leave their homes for the evening.
1. Keep Your Car and the Doors and Windows to Your House Locked
Don’t make it easy for someone to break into your house or car. Be sure to fortify the doors to your home by a dead-bolt lock that penetrates the door frame and check the locks on your windows. If they aren’t in working condition, fix or replace them immediately. If you have a sliding glass door, secure it with a door jamb or a rod in the track behind the door.
2. Don’t Hide the House Key
If you feel you must have access to an extra house key in case you lose or forget your key, give one to a trusted neighbor. Don’t hide it in your mailbox, under the welcome mat or under a big rock in your yard. Burglars know all about these so-called hiding places.
3. Know Your Neighbors
If you trust your neighbors with a key to your home, you probably also trust them to keep an eye on your house when you’re out trick-or-treating with the kids. You might even volunteer to accompany their children along with yours while they’re watching your house.
4. Install a Security System
A security system installed and monitored by a reputable company can keep your home and family safe on Halloween Night and throughout the year. Posting the signs and window stickers the security company provides will help keep burglars away from your home.
5. Keep the Lights On
Consider installing outdoor lighting with motion sensors, and, if you’re walking through the neighborhood with your kids, leave lights on inside the house so potential burglars won’t know you’re gone. And if any of your outdoor bulbs burn out, replace them as soon as possible.
Halloween can provide an enjoyable evening for kids and parents alike if they follow these common-sense safety rules. To learn more about how to protect your home, apartment or condo from burglars and other intruders, call Pop-A-Lock any time of the day or night at (361) 851-6736 or visit www.PopALockCorpusChristi.com.
Corpus Christi, TX 78408