Amador County – With Halloween on the horizon, Sutter Amador Hospital has offered some tips to help with all-around safety.

David Stone, a doctor with the Sutter Amador Pediatric Center gave some tips to keeping safe, whether people plan to stay home and greet trick-or-treating children at the door, to drive to a costume party, or to accompany children on their quest for treats.

Stone said if “driving, be especially cautious on Halloween” because “it’s worse than the first day of school.” He said children will “dash across a street to a promising house” with the big Snickers bars or other big payoffs.

He said people should expect “large groups of young children walking, sometimes running” on “darkened neighborhood streets” and he urged drivers to “take extra precaution.”

Most kids aren’t used to wearing long skirts, capes or oversized shoes, but when choosing their costumes, they aren’t considering how well they fit, but how cool they look, Stone said.

“As a parent, our job is to be sure they can safely navigate the neighborhood or front yard without landing on their nose,” he said.

Staying at home, people should prepare their porch. Make sure steps are clearly lit and walkways are free of obstacles. Candles should be out of harm’s way, and battery-operated lights offer a “worry-free glow in jack o’lanterns and luminaries” on front steps and walkways.

Stone also urged people to secure pets, who may be spooked by visiting children.

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