Central Insurance
Lately the news seems to be full of crime related activities that cause loss of security, property, and life. Listening to those news stories can stir up many emotions, fear in particular. Yet we continue to listen to those alarming stories and rarely take the proper precautions that we should during our everyday lives. When we walk out of the mall, do we have our keys in hand? Are we looking around to be sure that our surroundings are safe? Good common sense plays a big role in ensuring our safety.
The National Crime Prevention Council provides a list of do’s and don’ts for staying safe:
- Don’t walk or jog early in the morning or late at night when the streets are deserted.
- When out at night, try to have a friend walk with you.
- Carry only the money you will need for that particular day.
- Don’t display cash or any other inviting targets such as expensive jewelry and clothing.
- If you think someone is following you, switch directions or cross the street. If the person continues to follow you, move quickly toward an open store, restaurant, or a well-lit house. Don’t be afraid to yell for help.
- Try to park in a well-lit area with good visibility and close to walkways, stores, and other people.
- Always lock your car, even if it’s in your own driveway, and never leave your motor running.
- Do everything you can to keep a stranger from getting into your car or prevent a stranger from forcing you into his or her car.
- If you’ve been abused by a loved one, do not meet him or her alone. Do not let him or her in your home or car when you’re alone.
Talk to your friends and family (children too) about how to stay safe and be aware of their surroundings. Often times, we teach our children about stranger danger but tend to forget that real danger can include anyone such as parents, teachers, and other caregivers. People of all ages need to know what boundaries to set since looks can be deceiving. My old saying is this: trust but verify in all things. Always pay attention to the small details of what you know and see, and trust your instincts. Do you have any additional safety tips you’d like to share?
My little sister is about to head off to college. So, I liked that you pointed out that it would be smart for her to try to walk at night with a friend. It might be smart for us to get her some type of personal protective equipment. I know that would make my mother feel more comfortable.
Hi Penelope,
Thank you for reading our blog. These are all great tips to share with your little sister. It will be a new environment for her so it’s important she stays aware of her surroundings and to always try to find a friend to walk with at night.
Hi!
Thank you for this proper and useful article! I agree, that good common sense is an important factor when it comes to personal safety.
For me the moment when I understood, that we shouldn’t take safety for granted was when my friend was abused by a stranger, when he was walking alone home late night. Luckily his injury wasn’t that bad, and he was fine eventually, and he had a good lawyer to take care of his case. Also, it made me think, how to ensure safety in daily life. I think your list of tips is really good. Everyone should read them and learn from them.
Thank you for bringing up this important topic!
Thanks for pointing out that it’s smart to park in a well-lit area that is close to other busy areas. I think that it would also be smart to make sure to carry around pepper spray or a personal protection device that could help you if something happened. I think that would help make sure that you could better protect yourself and wouldn’t have to rely on other people as much which would be nice.