Oct. 29 Daily News editorial

Young trick-or-treaters will be fanning out as dusk in large numbers throughout the community in a couple of days. With Halloween 2009 falling on a Saturday, their numbers are expected to be larger than in most years.

If the weather cooperates, Kelso police Sgt. Doug Lane thinks this area could see “a record turnout” on Saturday. He told Daily News reporter Leslie Slape that motorists will need to exercise extreme caution during that 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. trick-or-treat “rush hour.”

That’s advice we hear every year, but it can’t be dispensed too often. Safe Kids USA reports that, on average, twice as many kids are killed while out walking on Halloween compared to other days of the year.

Pedestrian safety has to be the top priority on this night — for motorists, parents and kids. Particularly for motorists and parents. Young children can be lectured repeatedly on the dos and don’ts of crossing streets, then get caught up in the excitement of the moment and fail to look before running into a street or dart out from between parked cars.

Motorists will have to slow down and keep a careful eye out for the young trick-or-treaters. Watch for kids at intersections and near curbs. Enter and exit driveways with extra care.

Parents should accompany or make sure their children, age 12 and under, have adult supervision. Older trick-or-treaters ought to travel in groups and stick to well-lighted areas. Parents can equip their children with flashlights or glow sticks to make them more visible to motorists. Slape reports that Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue is handing out reflective bags and glow-in-the-dark wristbands this week.

Parents also might wanted to caution their young trick-or-treaters not to eat the treats until they’ve had a chance to look them over. Tampering isn’t so much the concern. That’s extremely rare. But parents ought to toss out any unwrapped candy and, in the case of very young children, check other treats for choking hazards.

“And don’t forget,” Sgt. Lane told Slape, “there’s great options out there — events at the mall and a number of organizations and churches that have parties. Those are great, safe environments, a lot of fun, and tremendous activities for the kids.” See today’s Entertainment section of the paper for a listing of haunted houses and other Halloween events in the area.

Area police will be out in force Saturday to keep the streets and neighborhoods safe for door-to-door trick-or-treaters. But everyone will have to do their part to ensure that this Halloween night doesn’t live up to its dangerous potential. The best safety tip for motorists and trick-and-treaters, alike is to simply slow down and stay alert.