Halloween will be here before we can say "Boo!" Soon, costumed kids dressed as friendly ghosts, winsome witches and precocious princesses will be trick-or-treating in your neighborhood. Because children tend to focus on the excitement of Halloween and forget about safety, it's up to parents, caregivers and motorists to make sure that every little boy and girl has a safe and happy holiday.

It's important for adults and drivers to be even more alert during Halloween because so many kids are out, and they may not be watching for cars," said Bill Whitfield, executive committee chair for the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety.

During the 2014 Halloween holiday Missouri had one fatality and four injuries involving pedestrians under the age of 16.

To avoid real-life Halloween horrors, remember the following:
Stay alert. Neighborhoods that don't normally have a lot of pedestrian and bicycle traffic may experience an increase on Halloween night.
Remember that kids are excited and may be trying to visit as many houses as possible in a short amount of time. They may forget to stop, look and listen as they cross the street.

Be cautious in areas where cars are parked along the side of the street. Trick-or-treaters may suddenly dart into traffic from between parked cars.

Wear bright, reflective clothing or decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape/patches.

Be patient, and SLOW DOWN.

Enjoy the Halloween holiday, but be on the lookout for those little goblins and caped crusaders. They may be superheroes, but they'll be looking to you to provide their safety.