Autobytel.com and Elvira Offer 5 Tips to Help Keep Trick-or-Treaters Safe on One of the Deadliest Nights of the Year for Child Pedestrians.

Autobytel.com Visitors Can Also Order Free Reflective Trick-or-Treat Bags and Download a Podcast of Elvira's Halloween Safety Message

IRVINE, Calif. -- Halloween is supposed to be scary - but "fun scary," not "deadly scary." Unfortunately, with excited kids darting around dark neighborhood streets (often in dark costumes) and an unusually high percentage of teen and drunk drivers on the road, Halloween has become one of the deadliest nights of the year for child pedestrians. Given the "witches brew" of potential hazards for kids, Autobytel.com has summoned the ultimate Halloween authority, Elvira, "Mistress of the Dark," to provide 5 expert tips to help keep kids safe on Halloween night.

5 Halloween Safety Tips, Presented by Elvira, Mistress of the DarkC*

Beware the Road! - Don't get me wrong - I love blood and guts just like the next ghoul - but I don't want to see yours C* Yuck! So do me a favor; when you go out trick-or-treating, always go with a responsible adult, and always stay on the sidewalk. When you cross the street, make sure to look both ways and cross at a marked crosswalk. And remember - just like werewolves and silver bullets - trick-or-treating and skateboards don't mix!

Don't Dress to Kill - Wear something bright and/or reflective to make sure drivers can see just how delightfully hideous you look, and avoid masks that make it difficult to see where you're going. Oh, and also make sure your costume is at least relatively tight fitting to avoid tripping or getting tangled up. (Why do you think I always wear a skin-tight evening gown - to get ratings?) Remember: No costume is complete without a flashlight!

Look for a "Halloween Haven" - For those of you who are still hung up on remaining among "the living," you might want to consider trick-or-treating in a safe, monitored, car-free environment. Street fairs, malls and schools are all good, safe alternatives. If nothing like this is available nearby, at least stick to well-lit, low-traffic neighborhood streets.

Bring a Cell Phone to "Channel" Lost Parents - If you have access to a cell phone, bring it along when you go out. That way you can call your parents or supervisor if you get separated, or 9-1-1 if there's an emergency. This should actually be a pretty easy tip to stick to considering that, these days, most kids don't go anywhere without a cell phone fused to their ear. (C*And to think, when I was a girl growing up in Transylvania, the only "text messages" we had were delivered by bats!).

Tell Them to Slow Down - Remind all of the drivers you know to drive with special care on Halloween night, one of the two most dangerous nights of the year in terms of child pedestrian fatalities. To encourage your family's drivers (and other friends) to make a commitment to safe driving on Halloween, have them log onto Autobytel.com and "Take the Pledge to Slow Down."

Go to Autobytel.com for a Free Reflective Trick-or-Treat Bag and Elvira's Halloween Podcast

To order a free reflective trick-or-treat bag and access in-depth safety information, links and resources, visit Autobytel.com's "Take the Pledge to Slow Down" site at www.autobytel.com. (Trick-or-treat bags are in limited supply, so log on to "Take the Pledge" today!) Beginning on Wednesday, October 11, a special Podcast version of Elvira's "Take the Pledge" Halloween safety tips will also be available on the site.

About Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

With her trademark raven-black hair and plunging floor-length evening gown, Elvira climbed from the crypt into cult status in the early 1980s as the hostess of the weekly horror-movie series "Elvira's Movie Macabre." The Elvira persona, however, quickly outgrew the show, spinning off into dozens of movies, TV appearances, and even comic books throughout the 80s and 90s, inspiring merchandising ranging from perfume to pinball machines. More recently, Elvira has become the unofficial spokesperson for "Halloween" writ large, keeping her in high demand for public appearances, TV interview and product promotions. When she's not busy entertaining fans, Elvira lends her fame and talent to a range of good causes, including safe-driving initiatives like "Take the Pledge to Slow Down."

About Autobytel Inc.

Autobytel Inc. is one of the largest online automotive marketplaces, empowering consumers to make smart vehicle choices using objective automotive data and insightful interactive editorial content. The result is a convenient car-buying process backed by a nationwide network of dealers who are committed to providing a positive consumer experience. Every day consumers choose Autobytel-owned and operated websites Co Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, CarSmart.com, Car.com, AutoSite.com, Autoahorros.com, and CarTV.com - to facilitate their car-shopping decisions. Autobytel's ability to attract millions of highly qualified, in-market car buyers and connect them with retailers has made it a leader in facilitating the entire customer car-buying lifecycle.

The Company's innovative marketing, advertising, data and CRM products, including its Web Control[R] customer management system, Retention Performance Marketing (RPM[R]) service reminder program, Special Finance Leads(SM), and AIC[R] data center, are designed to enable dealers to offer a premium consumer experience. Since pioneering pro-consumer online automotive content and purchasing in 1995, Autobytel has helped more than twenty-seven million car buyers, generating billions of dollars in car sales for dealers.