Everything You Need To Know About Travel Safety From An FBI Defense Tactics Instructor #TravelSafety

Steve Kardian is a 30-year law enforcement veteran, FBI defense tactics instructor and author of The New Superpower for Women.

 Everything you need to know about summer travel safety

1. Don’t Drop Your Guard

When we go on vacation, we can fall into the trap of getting too comfortable and relaxed in a new environment surrounded by people we don’t know or trust.  We need to travel making smart choices and employing a few safety practices, especially when going from point to point. Practicing situational awareness will keep you safe on a daily basis, and is even more important when you are on vacation.  You should know who is around you, what they are doing, and how that could affect you.  Then you can take preemptive action to stay out of harms way, whether this means keeping an eye on someone or putting a distance between yourself and them or even leaving the premises.  An attack can happen suddenly and quickly.  When you are alert to your surroundings and anticipating behavior, a predator has lost the advantage of a surprise assault.

2. Trust Your Gut

Respect what your intuition is telling you.  Studies have shown that intuition is an incredibly rapid cognitive process.  While you are actively registering your surroundings with your eyes and ears, subconsciously your brain is working in the background, picking up additional information and details.  If you ever had the feeling you were being followed, it is possible that your subconscious picked up a sound that was out of the ordinary behind you, such as rapid footsteps.  Maybe the person trailing you was hurrying because they were late for something, but an accelerated gait also matches the sound of someone attempting to catch up to you.  It is noticed by your subconscious mind first, which sends an alert to your conscious brain.

3. Road Trip

If you’re going on an extended drive, always start out with a full tank of gas, check the spare tire, and make sure your car is in good shape.  Never leave keys in ignition, not even to zip out to run an errand or make a quick stop at a convenience store.  Plan your fuel stops and map out well traveled rest areas where you know you can get to.  Develop the habit of filling up when you have a quarter of a tank left of gas left.  If you’re driving on a trip that will require an overnight stay, pick two hotels, one just short of your intended stop and another between 150 to 275 miles beyond, in the event you feel like you can travel further .  Use websites to plan out youre stops in advance.

4. Road Rage

If you drive on our nation’s roadways on a regular basis, your chances of being involved in a road rage incident are very high.  Road rage can be triggered through a gesture, such as being flipped off, by being cut off or through tailgating.  It can lead to serious physical injury and even death. Most of the minor events go unreported.

Drivers see their car and the roadway surrounding it as their personal space.  When that space is invaded, or violated, they become territorial. Mixing one or more aggravating factors, like sleep deprivation, a bad day at the office, a short temper or the consumption of alcohol, with someone cutting you off, not using their turn signal or tailgating and you have a toxic mix.

With the start of summer and July 4th fast approaching, we can expect to see an increase in instances of road rage. Most of us don’t consider ourselves to be the cause of road rage but drivers make mistakes all the time.  Carelessness, recklessness, absentmindedness and inconsiderate driving can all provoke an extreme reaction in other drivers.

Here are some things you can do to reduce your chances of being involved in a road rage incident by more than 50%.

• Be courteous and treat other drivers the way you would like to be treated. Use a hands-free device for your phone. Remember: texting and driving is deadly.

• Plan ahead and leave yourself extra time for traffic. Use Google Maps or Waze to check your route in anticipation of any traffic hazards or congestion. They can also afford you alternative routes if you run into trouble.

• If you happen to make a driving mistake, a great de-escalation technique is to keep your eyes on the roadway, nod your head affirming, yes, it’s my fault and give a friendly wave.

• If your find yourself of the receiving end of road rage, take a deep breath and ask yourself if it’s worth ruining your day, or worse. Don’t let the other driver’s problem become your problem, you will likely regret it!

5. Beach Safety Tips Every Parent Needs to Know

According to the Center for Disease Control, each year about 4,000 people drown in the United States.  Drowning kills more children 1–4 years of age than anything else, except birth defects.  Being aware of the risks and learning some life saving techniques will keep you safe at the beach.

Your Span of Control is Limited: In the perfect world, every child would have a designated adult supervising them at the beach or pool, but two children is a comfortable number for one adult to supervise.

Drowning Doesn’t Look like You Think it Does:  In the movies, when someone is acting out a drowning scene, they wave their arms and scream for help. In real life, drowning is, for the most part, a silent act. Once a person goes into distress mode, they are fighting for two things: air and keeping their mouth above water.

Set Up by a Lifeguard — No lifeguard, No lifeline: Set up your stuff near a lifeguard station so that if you venture into the water with your children there is an extra set of eyes to watch over you and your child.  Don’t allow this to replace your diligence but rather supplement it. Your child is your first responsibility.

Don’t Get Lost in Conversation: Going to the beach or pool is a social event. If you’re caught up in a conversation, keep your face and your eyes on your child. Keep your hands glued to your babies or toddlers at all times. Outfit your child with bright colored beach wear.

Learn CPR and Rescue Breathing:  Your local fire, police, recreation department or gym and health club often sponsor certified CPR courses. You will not realize its value until you need it!

6. Airport Safety

Thieves love the chaos of an airport, subway, bus terminal or busy resort.

• Travel as light as you possibly can, lots of luggage can be distracting and will make you a target for theft.

• Don’t keep all your credit cards and cash in one place. 

• Make sure travel to-and-from the airport is pre-arranged.  It is easy to get overwhelmed by legitimate and illegitimate drivers at the airport. 

• When using a service such as Uber or Lyft, confirm that driver’s name, license plate number, car description and photo on your phone when you request a ride. 

• Also make sure they have your name when they pick you up.  When walking through heavily traveled transportation hubs, stay alert and scan your surroundings while on the go. 

7. Travel Abroad

Check in With the State Department

The State Department provides updated safety information for every country in the world.  You can search their website and get trustworthy details about wherever you're visiting. Find out everything, from which vaccinations you need to the local laws to any travel warnings (including crime and security warnings).  While you're on the website, head over to the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) page, where you can register your travel plans.  In the event of an emergency (whether it's a natural disaster, an emergency back home or civil unrest), they will be able to contact you.

Leave an Itinerary and Emergency Contact Information

Try not to fly under the radar, especially if you're traveling alone. Leave your itinerary with a trusted friend or family member, and try to check in with him or her every day. That way, if something happens, they can alert authorities on your behalf.

Scan a Copy of All Your Documents

Before you leave, scan a copy of your passport, airline tickets, driver’s license and all reservations including hotel and car rental and e-mail it to yourself and take a photo of it to save on your cell phone. That way, if you need your passport while out (but it's locked up in your hotel safe), you'll have access to all your details. Plus, if it gets stolen, getting a replacement will be that much easier.

8. Keep the Green and Gold Out of Sight

Keep your cash and jewelry out of sight.  Keep your spending money separate from the cash you’re traveling with.  Less is better and don’t keep your important documents and valuables on your person in a backpack or bag your will have with you at all times. Don’t pack valuables into your checked air luggage or on a transportation luggage rack.  Have a hiding place for your emergency cash just in case something bad happens.

9. Be Prepared for the Worst Case Scenario

Carry a non-lethal weapon with you for self-defense and to be your own first line of defense.  As a pepper spray instructor for twenty years, I am a big advocate of the Defense Alert Device (D.A.D) by Tigerlight.  Not only is it a police-grade pepper spray, it offers a superior GPS alert system, a flashlight with strobe activation and, it wraps around your hand so if you are surprised or scared, it won’t fail.  Recently, the D.A.D saved Kortney Blatter, a 17 year Utah resident traveling in Italy.