Staying Safe While Driving Alone: 7 Tips

It’s Fall and while many students have taken long drives back to college, many people in the San Francisco Bay Area perform daily commutes that span hours each way.  As we’ve all heard, It’s far more dangerous to hop in your car for a daily commute than hopping on a plane to fly across the country.  And while only “8% of workers in the USA have commutes of an hour or longer…nearly 600,000 full-time workers endure “megacommutes” of at least an hour-and-a-half and 50 miles”…maybe the worst part is that 76% commute alone. (USA Today).

It’s true that no one is immune to vulnerability, but for women…the freeways and expressways are a different environment.  When you’re out of your element and neighborhood, there’ s no one to help notice that someone may look suspicious or out of place because the roadways are inherently a transient environment.  Here are several tips for EVERYONE…young or old…male or female…for responsibly minimizing potential dangers while on the road.  Increasing your personal safety can be as simple as planning ahead.

• Tune Ups – keep your car well and regularly maintained…especially your tires and a full gas tank..
• Roadside Assistance – if you purchased a car without it, take the initiative to get your own.
• Map out your route and destination…especially if it’s not familiar to you. An old fashioned paper map, as well as setting and testing your navigation system. Going to a hotel?…make an advanced reservation & plan to arrive before dark.
• Doors Locked ALWAYS…whether you’re in the car or out.
• Cellphone & Car Charger – always take them with you, but don’t even talk hands-free…it’s a distraction to what’s going on around you.

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