HALLOWEEN: Keep it safe

Halloween is a time of great fun for children, but it can be a little scary for parents and drivers. Children are often out after dark, crossing busy streets and perhaps going to unfamiliar homes.

Here are some trick-or-treat safety tips:

. When children are out at night, drivers need to be particularly careful at dusk and when driving, either over a hill or around a curve where visibility is limited. Use high beams to see and be seen.

. Trick-or-treaters should always be accompanied by an adult or travel in a group. Children should be told not to eat any unwrapped candy or treats until they return home where their parents can see them. Provide children with lightweight flashlights to carry for lighting or as part of their costume.

. Instruct children to stay away from open flames or other heat sources. Be sure children know how to Stop, Drop and Roll in the event their clothing catches fire. (Stop immediately, drop to the ground, covering your face with your hands, and roll over and over to extinguish flames.)

. Parents may want to limit their kids to local events run by police stations, firehouses, senior citizen centers or local businesses, or organize their own through their school.

. Parents should incorporate reflective tape in costumes or add bright colors to increase visibility. Make-up rather than masks should be worn to help ensure that children have an unobstructed view of their surroundings.

. Trick-or-treaters may be caught up in the excitement of the day and not be as careful as they should. They should always cross at corners and look both ways before crossing. Drivers need to keep a careful eye on the road and on the sidewalk in case anyone darts out from between parked cars.

. Children should stay on the sidewalk or if none is available, walk facing the lane of traffic, and they should carry a flashlight.

. Purchase only costumes, wigs and props labeled flame-resistant or flame-retardant. When creating a costume, choose material that won't easily ignite if it comes in contact with heat or flame. Avoid billowing or long trailing features.

. Use flashlights as alternatives to candles or torch lights when decorating walkways and yards. They are much safer for trick-or-treaters, whose costumes may brush against the lighting.

. Use flashlights when illuminating Jack-OLanterns. Use extreme caution when decorating with candlelit Jack-O-Lanterns and supervise children at all times when candles are lit.When lighting candles inside Jack-O-Lanterns, use long, fireplace-style matches and be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn including doorsteps, walkways and yards.