10 Car Safety Tips For Women

By Wendy R Megyese 

Unless you live in a metro area with great public transportation, driving a car is no longer a luxury. Even simple errands like grocery shopping require driving a vehicle. We do it so often that driving has become routine. We get in and out of our cars without thinking about any particular safety concerns. We become complacent.
Carjackings are an extremely dangerous crime. Road rage has gotten people killed. Women are
assaulted daily in parking lots. There are certain safety measures you should always take when using your vehicle. Here are the top 10:

1. Lock all your doors. As soon as you get in your car, lock your doors. Don't fiddle with the mirror or plug in your cell phone to the charger or tune your radio first. You can do these things more safely once your doors are locked. There have been women pulled out of their cars and assaulted as they checked their makeup in an unlocked car. Assailants will wait for the moment when you are most distracted. Don't make yourself an easy target. If your doors are locked, the attacker won't have immediate access to you, giving you more time to react.


2. Get going. You've checked your makeup, readjusted your mirror and plugged in your phone. Now, leave. The longer you sit in your car in a parking spot, the longer you can make yourself an easy target. Are you falling asleep and need to pull over for a quick nap? Make sure you do so in a well lit, well populated area.


3. Take the keys with you. Do not leave your keys in your car. I am always surprised by the number of people who will leave their keys in the ignition or in plain view on the seat. Even if your car is not stolen, seeing the keys is an invitation to go into your car. If you are like most drivers, you keep important papers in your car, like the registration or insurance information. Both these documents normally have your address listed on them. So now, the criminal has information on your name, where you live, and what car you drive.


4. Don't hide a second key any where in your vehicle. Thieves know where all the hiding places are.


5. Never leave your car running while unattended. Just running in the store to pay for your gas? Turn the car off, lock the doors and take your keys with you. Don't assume that a minute is not enough time for someone to steal your vehicle. This is especially important if you have a child in the car. There have been cases where thieves have stolen a car with the engine running, and there has been a small child in the back seat.


6. Don't assume your car is "too old" to steal. The criminal may need a quick ride. Or your vehicle may be worth more in parts than as a whole.


7. Look in your car before getting in. Take a quick look in the back seat. Make sure there is no one hiding there. We have all seen the movies where the bad guy was hiding in the back and puts a gun to the driver's head. It happens in real life too.


8. Whenever possible, park in attended, well lit areas. Criminals don't like witnesses. Be aware of your surroundings when approaching your car. If something doesn't feel right, or if someone is following you, find a safer place to go to. Walk back into the store or place of business, or where there are other people present. Keep self defense tool such as pepper spray, a stun gun or a safety whistle ready in your hand.


9. When you are on the road, avoid road raging. There will always be bad drivers on the road. Some will cut you off, intentionally or not. Some will drive too slow or get mad at you for not going through a yellow light. It is easy to get mad at a 'car'. But inside that vehicle is a driver, a real person you don't know. Never pick a fight with an unknown target. He or she may be bigger, badder, or more well armed than you are. Just take a deep breathe and let it go. You will arrive at your destination a lot safer if you do.


10. Keep some type of personal self defense weapon in your car. A great choice is an auto visor pepper spray. You can clip it on the visor and have it ready if someone does come up to your car.

You can find the best pepper spray to keep in your car here: http://www.bestlinedefense.com/pepper-spray/1-2-oz-w-auto-visor-clip.html
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Wendy Megyese is a Deputy Sheriff and a Self Defense Expert. Her passion is educating and empowering law abiding citizens with self defense tools and techniques so they can be victors and not victims. Visit her website at http://www.bestlinedefense.com to find the best self defense and survival products.

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