Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Make plans before Thursday to ensure a fun and safe Halloween for your children and everyone else.

Across the Roanoke-Chowan area, trick-or-treat for kids ages 12 and under is from dark until 8:30 p.m. There are other local festivals hosted by different organizations that allow children to fill their Halloween bags with treats all in one place instead of having them go door-to-door.

This is a magical night for the children who get to stay up past their bedtimes, dress up in costumes and get free goodies. It’s a big night for kids – a night filled with good-natured frights and a great deal of laughter.

It’s also a special time for parents who have worked during the week to make this night special for their children and enjoy the fun their kids are having every bit as much as their kids are.

The safety rules for trick-or-treaters and their parents include wearing costumes that can be seen, carrying flashlights, and going only to familiar homes that have the porch lights on are otherwise clearly inviting trick-or-treaters to come a-knocking.

And is very important that parents strongly encourage children to take their time and cross the street only after checking both ways twice.

But it’s not just parents and children who need to be extra cautious Halloween night.

Adults, even if not participating in Halloween, need to try to stay off the road when the trick-or-treaters are “terrorizing” local neighborhoods.

In the excitement of getting treats while going from house to house, even with close parental supervision children can be momentarily overwhelmed by the prospect of what lies ahead and might dart in front of a car.

Drivers must, therefore, be especially careful, even on country roads, because children might very well be screaming, laughing and having fun along any road or street in the area.

The fewer drivers there are on the streets, the less likely it is that there will be a tragedy on this “just for fun” night. Try to wait until after 9 p.m. to go to an adult Halloween party if at all possible so that the little ghosts and goblins will be safely home.

You should never get behind the wheel of a car if you’re at all impaired, but Halloween is the most important day of the year to not drink and drive.

Even if you only have one drink and aren’t legally considered intoxicated, that one drink will slow your reaction time.

Parents expect their children to behave while out trick-or-treating, but hey also expect other adults to have the consideration and thoughtfulness to not endanger their children.

Stay sober and have some fun on Thursday, Oct. 31.

– The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald