Halloween is always a fun time of year for children and many adults. They get the opportunity to dress up and parade from house to house, gathering as many treats as possible.

In all the excitement, both children and parents need to remember important safety tips in making the evening safe for everybody. I have listed some of the suggestions provided by the National Safety Council below. If you would like to explore many other great ideas for a safe Halloween, check out their Web site www.nsc.org.

The National Safety Council urges motorists to be especially alert on Halloween:

* Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.

* Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.

* Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.

* At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing

Before children start out on their "trick or treat" rounds, parents should:

* Make sure that an adult or an older, responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children under age 12.

* Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow. Know the names of older children's companions.

* Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.

* Teach your children to stop only at houses or apartment buildings that are well-lit and never to enter a stranger's home.

* Establish a return time.

* Tell your youngsters not to eat any treat until they return home.

* Review all appropriate trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian/traffic safety rules.

* Pin a slip of paper with the child's name, address and phone number inside a pocket in case the youngster gets separated from the group.

In additions to the above suggestions, when deciding what to wear for a Halloween costume, children and parents might consider that the costume should be easily seen if out after dark. It also should not cover children's eyes or restrict their vision in any way. Costumes should not hang too long where a child could trip over it.

Kids should stop only at houses that are well lit, and they should never enter a stranger's home. Wearing reflective clothing and carrying a flashlight is a good idea if you are trick-or-treating after dark.

* Parents should remind children to wait until they are at home to eat treats, and only after the treats have been inspected by an adult. Any treats that are unwrapped should be thrown out, as well as anything that looks suspicious. If there is any doubt at all, the item should not be eaten.

Remembering basic safety rules this Halloween will help everybody have fun while staying safe.

Philip Hartsfield is assistant chief of the Hays Police Department.