• Accompany children under 12 or have another adult go along.

• Plan a safe route with good lighting. Give your children a flashlight with fresh batteries or a glow stick to increase visibility.

• Pin a slip of paper with your child's name, address and phone number inside a pocket in case he or she gets separated from the group.

• Make sure costumes are flame-resistant and fit correctly. Use retroreflective tape to increase visibility.

• Treat your kids to a spooky Halloween meal before they leave. It will make them less likely to eat the candy they collect before you have a chance to check it.

• Inspect treats before eating. Throw out unwrapped or unpackaged candy.

• Look both ways before crossing the street and check for approaching vehicles.

• Cross the street only at corners and don’t hide between parked cars.

• Stay in familiar neighborhoods and only visit houses with lighted porches.

• If you visit a stranger’s house, accept treats only at the door. Don’t go inside.

• Use face paint or make-up instead of masks. Masks can obstruct your vision.

• Slow down in residential neighborhoods.

• Watch for children walking along roadways and curbs – one quick move and they could be in your path.

• Enter and exit driveways carefully.

• Use your vehicle’s headlights, even during the day, so you are visible.

• When driving children to and from holiday events, have them enter and exit at the curbside of the vehicle only.

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For Haunted House owners

• When passing out candy, consider the age of the child. Small, hard pieces of candy are a choking hazard for young children.

• Make sure your walkway is safe for children to enter.

• Clean up all lawn accessories to avoid falls.

• Consider using glow sticks instead of candles in your jack-o’-lanterns to avoid a fire hazard.

• Keep the porch light on to increase visibility.

• Bring pets inside.

Halloween is a night of spooky ghosts and eerie encounters, but following these tips can help ensure it’s a fun night as well. So, leave the scares behind in the land of goblins and take these precautions to ensure your family stays safe.