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Safety Awareness Travel Tips

You are free to roam about the country!  This article discusses Safety Awareness Travel Tips that you should implement as we begin to travel after 15 months of being locked in our homes.  Spring is here! COVID restrictions are beginning to lift and everyone is ready to go! Whether we are in search of sunny sandy beaches, mountain ridges or the hustle and bustle of the big city we should all practice our situational awareness and take some safety precautions.

Safety Awareness Travel TipsThere are so many rules and guidelines for safety while traveling that We could probably write an entire book on it. For this article we are going to focus on 3 Safety Awareness Travel Tips you should focus on. In all honesty, these things should also be practiced in our daily life, whether we are traveling or not.

Tip 1:  Tell a Friend Where You are Going, but Not All of Your “Facebook Friends”.

Who Knows?

Who knows has a two-fold meaning… 

On one hand, we want to let those close to us know we are traveling. We should tell a person or persons we confide in where we are going and what our general plans will be. This allows them to have our back from afar. If we say we will check in with them, they will be aware if we don’t. They are also often our eyes and ears in our neighborhoods keeping watch over our homes.

On the other hand, we do not want to shout to the world that we are leaving our home on these specified days at these times. We want to be cautious in how and when we post to social media, not giving clues of our exact location at a specific time and, if the whole family is traveling together, send a message that our home is empty and an easy target.

Tip 2: Know your Surroundings.

Where are you?

Safety Awareness Travel TipsKnow your surroundings. Often, we plan a vacation or adventure based off of a specific location. You know a pin point on the map, but we never spread out our search and see what is happening in the neighborhoods around our destination or even where the nearest, best hospital is located in case of emergency care.

I am guilty of this. We learned that lesson the hard way this year when we needed an ER and none of us knew the area. What about what is going on around you? The last 15 months have brought a range of concerning situations across our country; including riots. Do your own research and due-diligence when it comes to the safety of the location you are staying… and just to throw this out there, have you checked the local website of your destination for the registered sex offenders locations?  Use this link to check for sex offenders.

Safety Awareness Travel Tips
Do you overpack?

Tip 3:  Pack Lightly.

What do I need to have with me?

Again, this question has multiple answers. First, if you are like me you need to work on your packing skills. I often travel for a 3 or 4 day weekend trip. Somehow I end up with 2 checked bags and a carry on. Is all of this necessary? Remember in a new or strange place we want to be as mobile as we can. As a result of over packing, we get bogged down with more stuff than we need, and this is not a good travel process. 

Plan appropriately if you carry a firearm, pepper spray or other tool for protection. Every state has different laws, rules and guidelines on personal protection. Do your research to know and understand the laws of the state you are visiting.  One place you can access information is at USCCA  to check firearm reciprocity and also view the current state laws. It is also important to research and learn the process for airline travel.

A final tip…

Safety Awareness Travel TipsWhen it comes to our info and personal belongings we often do not spend enough time on our identity, financial access and credit card usage. Let’s talk a moment about our wallets. What is in your wallet? Your ID, Money, Credit Cards and those special trinkets – all very important.

Why not put together a “mugger money” wallet, one that if you gave it up would not result in stolen identity turmoil. A separate “different style” of wallet in your bag. Fill it twenty dollars in ones, all of those cards you received in the mail that say “your name here” and used up gift cards. This way, if someone approaches you for your wallet, keep your eyes on them and reach into your bag grabbing your “Mugger Money” wallet, and then throw it away from you, and behind the mugger if possible. Hopefully, they will go for your wallet and allow you time to head towards safety. You’ll know right away if they don’t move toward your wallet to be prepared for a fight.

Remember, you are in charge of your own safety, you are your best first responder. Follow these Safety Awareness Travel Tips, Stay Alert and Be Prepared, and enjoy your traveling adventures!

Read additional Safety Awareness articles:  Things to Consider When Developing a Personal Home Safety Plan, A Mindset for Personal Safety, and Firearm Safety Talk with Kids.

 

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