Keep safe these holidays
It’s hard to relax and enjoy the holidays if you’re worried about your safety – so follow these handy tips to make sure every item on your safety checklist is ticked.
Security at home
Ask a neighbour or someone you know well to watch your home and report any suspicious activity.
Check your security – is everything up to date and in good working order? Are all the doors and windows securely locked? Could you perhaps install an alarm if you don’t have one?
Keep your holiday plans as private as possible – don’t post them on social media.
Look at investing in an automatic timer for your indoor and outdoor lights so they turn on and off at certain times.
Make sure any tools are locked away – things like ladders and spades can be used to gain access to your property.
Safety on the road
Is your car roadworthy? Have it properly serviced before you leave to go on vacation.
If travelling by taxi, do your own inspection. If the vehicle seems unroadworthy, try to find a different one.
Try to plan your trip so you will not be on the roads in the early hours of the morning or late at night. This is when most accidents occur.
If you are driving and feeling tired, pull over at the next rest stop and take a break. Don’t risk falling asleep at the wheel.
Avoid stopping in isolated areas.
Familiarise yourself with where you are going – you don’t want to get lost in a strange place. Ensure you have considered fuel consumption.
Keep car doors locked and windows closed at all times.
When on holiday
Always keep your wits about you and stay alert. Sometimes local thieves are on the lookout for tourists to steal from.
Stay in well-lit areas at night. Don’t trust people asking you to follow them down dark alleyways promising special shopping deals or the like.
When in a bar, keep careful watch over your drink. The spiking of drinks is on the increase.
Covid-19 precautions
Covid-19 has not gone away. In fact, American scientists recently identified a new mutation of Omicron that is of concern.
The elderly are most at risk of hospitalisation and serious illness, so if you plan to visit older relatives, take precautions. Don’t go near them if you are showing any signs of Covid. Rather get tested to be safe.
If you are travelling by public transport, still wear a mask to protect yourself and others.
Continue to sanitise and wash your hands well to minimise the impact of germs. Avoid large gatherings if possible.
Don’t get scammed
The holiday season is unfortunately the time when many scammers are most active. Be aware and don’t let them take advantage of you. Google says it stops up to 15 billion unwanted messages from appearing in Gmail inboxes every day. Despite this, there are still scammers who manage to get their messages through. Look out for:
Fake SMS messages asking for donations to charities. These are often fraudulent.
Someone pretending to be someone you know and asking for money in the form of a gift certificate or cellphone airtime voucher.
Emailers asking you to join crypto-based schemes that will con you out of your money.
Sources: IOL.co.za; westerncape.gov.za; safewise.com
