The world may seem crazier than ever these days, with pandemics and shootings on the news everyday, staying safe can feel like an impossible task. Though we have no control over certain events, there are some measures that we can take to help increase our personal levels of safety. Here are some tips to utilize when walking around or operating a vehicle, or any other time when you are out and about. 

1.Stay Aware Of Your Surroundings

Many types of accidents can occur, or be worsened, due to lack of attention. You can drive more precisely, walk safer around a city, and even prevent a fatal pedestrian accident by paying closer attention to your surroundings. Here are a few general tips to stay safer: 

  • Take a moment to set your music and enter where you are going into your maps, that way you are not fiddling with your phone while walking or driving.
  • Along that note, staying off of your phone is a must, especially when driving.
  • Look around for suspicious people, or in your rear and side view mirrors for drivers that are clearly not paying attention or perhaps under the influence. If you identify a suspicious person or vehicle, move away from them.  

2.Invest In Some Personal Safety Equipment 

Some people feel safer knowing that they have some form of personal safety equipment with them at all times. For example, when driving, carrying a seatbelt cutter and window breaker can be lifesaving in certain accident situations. Being able to act quickly and break yourself free after a severe accident can save you from drowning, or being in a car when it explodes. 

If you frequently need to walk around a city or place at night, keeping pepper spray in your purse with you can help reassure you during a scary interaction with anyone trying to harm you. 

Before purchasing anything pepper spray or seatbelt cutters, be sure to look into your state’s laws about carrying and utilizing personal safety equipment. Additionally, watch any tutorials you need to master using these pieces of equipment, to prevent incidentally injuring yourself. 

3.Take Self Defense Lessons 

The previous tips apply to multiple types of transportation, but this one is for people who walk around potentially dangerous areas. Learning a form of hand-to-hand self defense can be quite useful to help prevent an attempted robbery or injury. Lawyers like self defense attorney Graham Donath have seen just how self defense can work to mitigate crime. Some different types of classes include: 

Krav Maga 

Often revered as the most effective form of self defense, this style of martial arts was developed by the Isreaili military. The entire goal is not to stand and compete in a technical fight, but to enact quick but severe damage on your attacker, and flee the scene. Survival is the most important element of Krav Maga, which makes it a popular form of self defense. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

This craft was developed and honed by the Gracie brothers in 1920s Brazil. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (abbreviated as BJJ) is so effective because it focuses on the ground game, and teaches skills that allow smaller people to dominate much larger opponents. This can be a great complement to Krav Maga, because it gives you a chance to beat your attacker even if they get you in a compromising position on the ground. 

All in all, staying safe involves many types of tools, awareness, and knowledge. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to staying safe. Regardless, adopting any of these habits can help you stay safer.