Common Sense Safety Tips

While we all know that there are certain situations that put our safety at risk, we generally think of things that are less likely to happen to us, like a plane crash or being run over by a vehicle. In fact, things that we do every single day are statistically more likely to affect us and our safety, which is why it’s so important that we follow some common sense safety tips. These tips can apply to a variety of situations, and should be followed by everyone. There’s no doubt we are living in a dangerous world, and it’s important to put our safety as a priority.

• Here are some common sense safety tips everyone should follow:
• Be aware of your surroundings. That’s right, whether you are at work, at a concert, or walking by yourself in a parking lot, put your phone away and be aware of your surroundings. You can be focused on other things, but you still need to be aware of if you are walking into a bad situation or if someone sketchy is hanging around or something seems off to you.
• Listen to your gut. If you have a bad feeling about an area or something you are going to do, listen to it. Your stomach has a second brain in there, and it picks up on different things that aren’t necessarily noticed. So if your gut is telling you to leave a situation, follow that.
• Pay attention while driving. Car accidents are on the of most common dangers to our safety, and the number one cause is distracted driving. You’d be amazed at what people think they can do while behind the wheel, including read a book! We aren’t that good at multi-tasking, so instead, focus on one task at a time, in this case, driving. Put your phone away, and just remember, one text is not worth someone’s life.
• Don’t talk about money and finances out in public. If you are bragging about how much you have in the bank, you may make yourself a target for a robbery.
• Tell someone where you are headed. Whether this is for a night out with the girls or a vacation, tell a trusted friend, and check in with them. This way, if anything happens, they can talk to authorities and give more information that could help you.
• Don’t post everything on social media. On the flip side of informing someone trusted where you are going, don’t post your location, when you’re going on vacation, and other personal information on social media. You may think that everyone on your friend list wants what’s best for you, but they likely don’t. So don’t give them an opportunity to break into your house or to show up where you are and potentially cause you harm.
• Carry mace or a weapon if you are prepared to handle it. If you don’t want to have an EDC weapon, then that’s understandable and you shouldn’t. But you should have mace at least, or a whistle, something that will help you in case you are attacked or threatened.
• Check your ride before hopping in an Uber. This one is especially important lately, so before hopping into the first vehicle that pulls up, check a few things. Look at the driver ratings, look at the name and picture, double check that the make, model and plates match, and finally, make them ask for your name. If you offer up a name, anyone can nod and say yes. But they won’t be able to know your name if they aren’t the driver you called. If you get a bad feeling, call for another car. You are allowed to do that, and your safety is more important than a ride rating.
• Don’t walk around with headphones in. It can be tempting, especially if you live in a city to have headphones in while walking to work, but it could cause you to miss important things, like a car horn honking at you to get out of the way or someone yelling at you to watch out. Instead, enjoy the fresh air, and keep your ears open and on alert for any dangers.
• Keep your phone charged. One of the worst things that can happen is needing to make an emergency call, and not having any battery life. Make sure you keep your phone charged throughout the day, whether this means charging it in your vehicle as your drive to and from work or having it charge while you are at your desk.
• Have a plan. If you are going anywhere that you are unfamiliar with the area or meeting with people, have a plan for what you are going to do, how to exit, and even what happens in case of emergency.
• If you see something, say something. This may be the biggest common sense safety tips everyone should follow, and often the one underutilized. No one wants to be rude or be the squeaky wheel or get someone in trouble, but in some cases, it’s necessary. If you see something shady happening or you are unsure about a situation, alert a security guard or if it’s not an emergency, call a non-emergency number. You may find that you help someone else who could be in danger, and even if it’s nothing, the police or security guard won’t mind looking into it. They’d rather look into a false alarm than have an emergency develop.