Vampires and ghouls might scare little children but parents have much more to worry about during Halloween weekend, according to area officials.

Children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than on an average night, said Rene Hopkins, coordinator of Safe Kids East Central, led by MCGHealth Children's Medical Center. She said it's extremely important parents make children visible to others -- using flashlights, reflectors and glow sticks. Children also must be able to see others, so forego loose-fitting masks for makeup, she suggests.

Other tips include:

- Look for flame-retardant costumes. Ms. Hopkins said costumes can catch fire easily. "It's no longer a requirement that costumes are (flame retardant), so the savvy consumer needs to know what they're looking for."

- Make children wear shoes that fit well. "I know that they love those little princess heels or the big army boots for the boys, but if they're out walking around they really need shoes that will fit them."

- Children should be attended at all times and those 10 and younger should be with an adult. Ms. Hopkins said children might be able to walk around on their own at other times, but Halloween is different. "They may not make the same choices that they do other nights."

- Richmond County sheriff's Sex Crimes Investigator Bonnie Basile suggested that parents check online to find out where the homes of sex offenders are using the Augusta Web site, www.augustaga.gov. "All the addresses are listed on there and there is a mapping system," she said.

- Give older children your cell phone if they don't have their own. Make them stick to a planned route and go only to homes of people they know. "It's not the night to make a new friend," Ms. Hopkins said.

- Check all of the candy, said Richmond County sheriff's Sgt. Calvin Chew. Throw away opened candy and homemade baked goods. Ms. Hopkins suggests feeding children right before they go to trick-or-treat so they aren't tempted to snack.