COLUMBIA, Mo. - Sometimes on Halloween night the scariest face you'll see isn't wearing a mask, it's behind the wheel of a car.

Children 12 and under are more than twice as likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween as on any other day of the year, according to Safe Kids USA.

"On Halloween nights, statistics on pedestrian accidents skyrocket," said Gary Maddox, director of the University of Missouri Extension Law Enforcement Training Institute.

This year Halloween falls on a Friday, so there may be more drunk drivers on the road than during most Halloweens, he said.

Parents should make sure their children carry flashlights and wear reflective tape to make them more visible to drivers.

Motorists should drive slowly and be extra alert in residential areas. Be on the lookout for pedestrians all along the street, not just at crosswalks.

"Most pedestrian accidents on Halloween don't occur at intersections, but in mid-block areas," Maddox said. "You have excited children darting and dashing across streets and from behind parked cars."

There are more people out on the streets Halloween night than on most nights of the year, and many of these are small trick-or-treaters who often do not pay attention to what is on the street. The combination of distracted children and drunk drivers can result in a dangerous situation, Maddox said.