Halloween is Oct. 31 and safety should be everyone’s goal to make the occasion fun instead of a nightmare. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office offers the following tips:

For trick-or-treaters

– Parents should accompany young children

– Don’t go inside a stranger’s house, no matter what anyone says

– Trick-or-treaters should always be in groups

– Make a map of your trick-or-treat route and check it against the sex offender database

– Stay in your own neighborhood or look for publicized events at area malls or shopping centers

– Stop only at well lighted houses

– Carry a flashlight or light stick

– Wear light colored clothing or costume

– Use make up instead of a mask

– Always keep a safe distance between yourself and moving cars

– Be respectful of other people and their property

– Screen all treats before you eat them

– Don’t accept or eat anything not commercially wrapped

– Start early, end early; use sidewalks or walk facing traffic

– Stop, look and listen at corners

– Walk, don’t run

– Don’t go between parked cars or crisscross back and forth across streets or into traffic

– Don’t carry sharp instruments and never carry a lighted torch or candle

Reminder to parents

Do you homework:

– Visit the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Sexual Offender and Predator database: offender.fdle.state.fl.us to ensure the residences your children are visiting aren’t occupied by a registered offender

Make sure your kids dress up safely:

– Check that costumes are flame-retardant, especially for little ones

– Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls and other bumps in the night

– Try make-up instead of a mask

– Make sure kids wear light colors or put reflective tape on their costumes

Make trick-or-treat trouble free:

– Trick-or-treaters should always be in groups; parents should accompany young children.

– Make sure older kids trick-or-treat with friends; together, map out a safe route so parents know where they’ll be

– Try to get your kids to trick-or-treat while it’s still light out

Treats:

– Kids need to know not to eat their treats until they get home

– Check out all treats at home in a well-lighted place

– For young children, remove choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys

– Only unopened candies and other treats that are in original wrappers; discard candy or treats that are homemade, unwrapped or if they appear tampered

– Wash all fruit thoroughly, inspect it for holes like small punctures and cut it open

Motorists beware

As you travel Lee County streets and roadways, remember alternative activities, parties and events are scheduled in the days and nights preceding and on Halloween. Keep these traffic safety tips in mind:

– Exercise extra vigilance for those excited, costumed youths whose exuberance may overcome their awareness of vehicles

– Check to be sure your costume doesn’t impede your ability to operate your vehicle in a safe manner

– Drivers need to remember, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”; don’t drink and drive

– To report the location of an impaired driver in Lee County, dial 911

Source: Lee County Sheriff’s Office