Safe: Not Sorry!

Jan 16, 2002 4:27 PM

YOUR AUTOMOBILE

• Carry your car keys in your pocket, not in your purse. Have your ignition key ready when approaching your car, so you don't have to fish in your purse or pockets.
• Always look in the back seat of your car before getting in. If someone is there, leave immediately and summon the police. If you see someone running from your car, don't go after him. Call the police and provide the best possible description of facial features, height, weight and/or clothing. This makes it easier for the police to trace patterns of rapists and thieves who travel from one area to another. Do not be a hero/heroine.
• When your car's tires are changed, ask the mechanic to: a) grease the screws, and b) tighten the lugs by hand. It is often difficult to unscrew the lugs when they are tightened by machine and you are stranded at night on a lonely highway or street.
• If you have a CB radio, transmit this message when you need help — even if you are alone: "We are having car trouble and are seeking assistance from a uniformed patrol car. Please do what you can to call the local police and ask them to respond to this call."
• Invest in an inexpensive sign saying, "Assistance Needed — Please Call 911 and Report Location of My Car." Sold at most automobile stores, the sign can be placed inside your window in an emergency.
• Leave some warm socks and a blanket in the trunk of your car. They come in handy if you get stuck on a winter evening and are waiting for uniformed help, which often can take a while. F If you stop for a red light or a stop sign, stop at least 1 1/2 car lengths behind the car in front of you. This gives you room to drive around the car if someone intent on robbery drives up behind you.
• When driving, try to avoid getting involved with people in a bogus accident. If you are in a deserted area and another car taps your rear bumper, open your window a crack and say, "Please follow me to the nearest convenience store (or police station or well-trafficked street) so that we can exchange IDs." Stop at a well-lighted public place and remove your identification from your wallet before getting out of your car.
• If the offender's reason for bumping into you was to get you to open your purse or take out your wallet in his presence, he won't follow you. If your car is damaged and the offender drives away, the damage is less important than your safety. If you can copy down the license number, you can still report the accident. By giving the person those instructions, you are not fleeing the scene of an accident.
• When driving alone, leave the driver's window closed. If it's too warm, open the passenger's window. A common method of snatching jewelry is through an open driver's window. Also, beware of strangers asking directions — a common way of getting you to open a window. And keep your purse on the floor of the car, not on the passenger's seat.
• Do not leave laundry or packages in the back seat when you leave your car. First, they promote break-ins and theft. Second, intruders can use them to hide behind or under, preventing you from seeing them when you enter your car.
• If another driver abuses you with foul language and/or gestures, don't try to get even. Not everyone in the world has as much self-control as you.