Traveling Safe as a Woman

As we head into the holiday season, a lot of us will be traveling.  Something that should be on our minds during this time is our safety.

My husband just finished his first master’s degree course on Victimology, so the talk of safety has been recurring in my house lately.

I make the six hour trip to visit my sister fairly regularly, so we have talked a lot about things I can do to make the drive safer.

Here are some good tips he gave me for traveling alone by car:

Before the trip…

• Prep your car by getting the oil and other fluids checked, and make sure the air is good in the tires.
• Know your route before you go- good planning goes a long way.

On the road…

• Don’t stop to help someone on the side of the road-this may seem mean, but someone else can do it, or just call 911 if something looks really wrong.
• When you stop to fill up, make sure it is a well lit station, preferably not in the middle of no where.
• As you walk to and from your car, have your keys out so that in case someone comes at you you have a weapon ready.
• Every so often, call someone to let them know where you are in your trip.
• Always keep the car at least half full- if you get stranded you want to have some gas to keep you warm.
• If you do break down have roadside assistance that you can call to get you on your way.

In general…

• If you “have a feeling” don’t push it aside, follow your gut instincts.
• Have some common sense- don’t carry your purse around open, don’t walk around with money in your hand.

Some of this stuff (like using your keys as a weapon) seem extreme or overly concerned, but stuff happens a lot more than

we think.

The truth is that although women are empowered and all that, we are still more vulnerable than men, so we need to have safety on the mind.

Don’t live in fear, but live smartly and safely when you are on the road this season.

Don't let this be you!