Halloween is not something I grew up with much – it was around but I believe I only went trick or treating once…..and that’s one time less than I went Christmas Caroling.  That says a lot.

Now, in Trinidad Halloween is a HUGE deal!  Clubs have special Halloween parties, kids go trick or treating and there are huge warehouse costume and decoration stores all over the country.  It is just weird to me.

I do see how much joy it brings to families and especially to kids who get the one night in the year to be on a sugar high – and we have to admit, costumes are fun for kids of any age!  I’ve been trying to convince my husband to dress up as Bonnie and Clyde one Halloween or another but he seems to be a bit of a stick-in-the-mud shy when it comes to embarrassing yourself publicly…not to mention really bad at taking subtle hints.  I have to say I’m a little wary at embarrassing myself as well, but I’d go for it if I were invited to a halloween party (which btw I have NEVER been to!  *hint hint*).

And if I attend solo?  I think I’d go steampunk – I have this weird fascination with the steampunk movement – and no, I do not have the hefty bosom and tiny waist that seems to define all the women I’m seeing in those costumes….but I”m sure they have some that would fit my bodytype..right? RIGHT?!

*sigh* I have to accept the fact that I’m not a child anymore someday and I have not yet joined the ranks of Mommies out there who can live vicariously take their little ones out for a bit of good old fashioned, scary fun.  But fun can turn into disaster when one is not careful.  The typical night driver is not used to little ghosts, ghouls nor witches running across the road,  much less adult zombies.  So take extra care when going out trick or treating.

This Halloween in particular we need to take extra precaution.  After Sandy, we are having some very, very wet and DARK nights.  Just driving home tonight got the Luv Luv and I tired just because we had to be SO alert.  This is a year that we especially need to be careful!  This is why, when I received these tips from Ford Canada on how to stay safe during Halloween, I thought I should definitely let you know about it.

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HALLOWEEN is almost upon us. Kids will be excited and running around so drivers need to be extra cautious on the roads. Some parents are also going to be heading out driving their little ones from one house for trick-or-treating and they could use some tips on keeping little ones safe in the back seat. I’m thinking a few tips on driving safe during Halloween but also a few reminders for parents hopping into the car with kids. There’s some innovative Ford technology that is perfect for just this that I’ve outlined below and attached a few documents on. The inflatable seat belts are a really cool technology.

 General driving safety tips that really have extra importance on Halloween night.

A few tips would be…

• Slow down. Children move in unpredictable patterns and will be running up and down sidewalks and zigzagging across streets. Drivers should lower their speed, especially in residential areas, as children may appear unexpectedly in the route of travel.
• Lights on. Having full headlights on at all times not only helps drivers to easily spot children, but also lets trick-or-treaters know when a vehicle is approaching.
• Eyes wide open. Children’s costumes may be dark in colour or without reflective patches, limiting their visibility. Children’s masks may also cause their view to be limited or obstructed. Drivers should keep their eyes peeled and be extra mindful behind the wheel.
• Stay alert. All it takes is one second for a child to dart across the street and into a driver’s path of travel. As always, stay alert with your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

 

Advanced safety considerations and technologies from Ford like:

• Child seats. Make sure that child safety seats are properly installed and that kids are safely strapped in! You likely saw the story in this week’s headlines about the Ontario woman caught traveling 212km an hour with two small kids not in their child seats! Ford has a special LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system which is standard in all Ford models that ensures drivers properly and easily install their child seats.
• Back seat – belt etiquette. With lots of stop and go on Halloween during trick or treating trips it might be tempting to not buckle up. But it’s essential…
• Inflatable seat belts. Ford now has second-row inflatable safety belts in several of their vehicles like the 2013 Flex. This is a remarkable award-winning innovation for Ford and works well on smaller body sizes.
• MyKey technology. This advanced technology allows drivers to preset things like maximum speed, maximum audio volume, and alert to fuel consumption and seat belt usage. This allows for the driver to cut down on driver distractions that might come along with such a crazy night. This is also a great technology for those parents giving their teens the family vehicle for the evening!