Alper Aydın 
When planning for a trip, it’s usual to worry about accommodation, what to take along, what to wear and eat, the journey itself, and places to visit. However, many of us forget to make plans regarding our safety, or we simply don’t plan enough.
While it is understandable to focus on things that help improve your travel experience — both on and off the road, it’s important to give enough attention to your safety.
Factoring your safety into your travel plans will ensure that your promising trip doesn’t turn into an absolute nightmare. It also makes you prepared for potential problems, should any arise. Here are some travel safety tips to remember when traveling.
1. Keep Flashy Jewelry at Home
Do you have a gold necklace? What about a fancy Rolex wristwatch? If you own any of these luxury accessories or other luxury items, you should keep them at home or with trusted friends, if you would be traveling for too long.
Wearing luxury fashion accessories makes you an easy target for thieves. And of course, you know the sadness and anger that follows when you lose something precious to you. Such feelings can ruin your trip.
2. Drive Safely
Each year, numerous road accidents occur worldwide, claiming several lives and causing multiple injuries. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, approximately 1.3 million people die annually due to road traffic crashes. So to protect yourself from accidents when traveling, you need to drive safely.
And how do you do that?
Firstly, you need to repair your car before you embark on a trip. Check the coolant, oil, tires, breaks, lights, and spare tire before hitting the road. In addition, don’t over speed, drink while driving, or practice Fast and Furious Stunts on the road. If you somehow get involved in an accident, check yourself for injuries and contact a car accident lawyer ASAP. If the accident was caused by a truck, you’ll need to reach out to a truck accident lawyer. This professional will advises you on the steps to take and help ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.
3. Be up-to-date on popular scams
Scams are popular, and most times, travelers or visitors often fall victims due to their ignorance. To ensure that you don’t fall victim to scams, you have to be proactive. Do your research on the place you intend to visit to understand how local scammers work.
Common scams involve using children to toy with your sympathy, bump and grab, the use of RFID scanners, etc. The more you are aware of these scams, the less likely you are to fall for them.
4. Drink Responsibly
A lot of things could go wrong if you drink excessively while traveling. The consequences are usually worse when you are the one on the steering wheel. So even if you love exploring the local nightlife when on a trip, ensure you limit the amount of booze you consume.
If you don’t, you could get intoxicated. And when that happens, you become easy prey to thieves should you get lost or find yourself in a dangerous neighborhood. If you are a lady, ensure you watch your drink to prevent it from being spiked.
5. Note the phone number of emergency services
Emergency service hotlines differ per country. For instance, in France, 15 is the number dedicated to medical or health-related emergencies, while in Brazil the number to call is 192.
When traveling, ensure you note the emergency services number for your destination. They could be a lifesaver when you find yourself in an emergency. In addition to emergency numbers, ensure you look up the number of your country’s closest embassy. You can write these numbers down or save them on your phone for easy recall during an emergency.
6. Be smart about your money
To ensure that we don’t run out of money on a trip, some of us stack our wallets and luggage with loads of cash. Such a move isn’t advisable.
Rather than take so much cash with you and appear like a prone walking vault, why not open an account with an international bank or credit card company? That way, you can travel cashless.
If you withdraw a huge amount of cash at once, store a good portion of it in your hotel and take only what you need for that day. Also, be careful of the ATMs you use. Only use those that are owned by banks to avoid being scammed.
Finally, spread your money. You can hide your cash somewhere in your traveling bag and your credit card somewhere else so if one gets stolen, you have an alternative way to access cash.
Conclusion
It takes a little unpleasant event like a theft, faulty credit card, missed road, etc, to ruin a promising trip. For this reason, it’s best to give enough attention to your safety before traveling. If you would be traveling alone to an unfamiliar location, your safety should be one of your priorities.
