One of the necessities we have in life is a sense of safety. We want to be able to go about our daily tasks without fear of being attacked, of encountering an accident. However, there are times when we unconsciously subject ourselves to dangers.
For example, when we choose a home, it is not always that we know our new neighborhood well. One of the factors people choose a location is because it’s cheap or it’s convenient to travel to their work. But because we don’t know about the area, we also don’t know what harm it could potentially pose to us. It could be natural like weather conditions, man-made such as structural problems in the buildings, or man-induced such as criminal attacks.
The crime rate has not improved especially with the situation we have now. Tough times are desperate times for a lot of people. With the economic struggle, many are still unemployed or under-compensated.
Threats are external matters that we could not control, but it is best to prepare against them with the things we could. Here are some safety precautions we suggest you could do at home, in your car, and for your person.
Safe home
At home, if you have children, make sure no objects are lying about that could cause accidents. According to a study, children aged two to five who are at the stage of exploring their environment are prone to poisoning, cuts, electric burns, and burns from lighted matches. After that, the child is likely to have accidents from playing. Have these in mind when you go about your daily activities. Keep flammable and poisonous objects of the rich of younger children. Always have an adult supervise playtime. Also, have a first aid kit ready. Orient everyone who to call and what to do whenever there’s an emergency.
Another home concern is the possibility of intruders. While surveillance cameras are standard safety gadgets, they would be useless if no one is monitoring when the intrusion occurs. It would be best if this could be connected to an alarm system that would alert people in the house if it were triggered.
Safety on the road
Road traffic injuries are among the highest causes of death around the world. It is of primary importance, therefore, that you should be prepared every time you go on the road. Always have your car checked by a professional. For example, your Subaru timing belt needs to be replaced after your vehicle reaches 60,000 to 100,000 miles. Know how to do basic car repair so you could do some remedies when you encounter aberrations.
Some good cars also have additional safety measures. Some models have a rearview camera so that you could back your car safely. Some have driver drowsiness monitoring and lane departure warning. Most cars would also have automatic emergency brakes.
Don’t go out if you know of any dangers like a strong rain where there’s likely bad visibility on the road. Don’t drive when you’re drunk. And don’t disregard all dangers thinking that these are not going to befall you. Accidents could happen because people are so stubborn and unprepared.
Your own safety
Not all the time when you’re out that you’re in your car. So you must also have safety precautions on your person. There is so much controversy about bringing a gun with you so you could opt to bring pepper spray instead. It would at least give you time to run and temporarily blind your attacker. It’s another story when a group is attacking you, but you can learn basic self-defense for these unwanted incidents.
Since prevention is still the best defense, be constantly aware of your surroundings. Attackers would prefer prey who are distracted. Don’t go to dangerous places, like cutting across dark areas, even if it would save you time or money.
For people who are not comfortable calling 911 and the police, always have alternative emergency numbers with you. It should be someone who will be able to assist you in an emergency. Perhaps there are local organizations in your place that would assist women and children in distress, for example.
In whatever we do, we should always have our safety as our priority. It doesn’t matter if we are letting go of some opportunities; have to give up time or money. These are all of less value than our lives. Anyway, if we get into accidents, for sure it will also cost us a lot. Think about these expenses as investments in our lives. Then, they wouldn’t be too much.