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Safety Tips for Walking Home

Whether you're on campus, in your local community or leaving a club or bar, taking the right precautions when walking home can save your life. Some of the best ways to practice safety when walking home include selecting well-traveled streets, finding a partner to accompany you, exhibiting the correct body language and having some type of protective device in the event of an attack.

  1. Well-Traveled Streets

    • If you're walking alone, one of the best ways to stay safe is to ensure that you always choose a route that is well-populated or well-lit if it's night time. This is important because it allows you to call out for help or run to a public place if you're followed or if someone tries to grab you as you're walking. Any shortcut that takes you through a location that isn't well-traveled runs the risk of placing you in danger if someone is following you. Another tip is to try to walk in such a way that you can observe oncoming traffic when you're on a public street. If traffic is behind you, you may not be aware of a car that's tailing you until it's too late.

    Find Someone To Accompany You

    • When walking home, do everything possible to find someone to accompany you. Predators are less likely to single you out if you have one or more companions with you. And even in the event that you're attacked, you have a much better chance of fighting back if someone is with you. One thing to remember, however, is you should never allow the person or people who accompanied you to walk home by themselves after you've reached your home.

    Exhibit the Correct Body Language

    • If you walk with confidence as you're heading home, it can make a big difference in how you project to people who may be following you with the intention of doing harm. Keep your head up, make eye contact with anyone near you and don't look down in fear or shyness. Do not speed up your pace as if you're scared, but maintain a comfortable gait that exhibits strength and assurance. One thing to keep in mind is that listening to music through an earphone or talking on your cellphone while walking may distract you from noticing your surroundings and potential dangers.

    Carry Protective Devices

    • There are many protective devices you can purchase to use in the event of an attack. Pepper spray is sold that attaches onto a keychain for easy access and can incapacitate an attacker long enough for you to get away and find help. Personal alarms can also be beneficial, as they produce a shrill sound when activated that can alert people to your danger or frighten off your attacker. These alarms can be used on keychains, and are also available as aerosol cans. One disadvantage of these alarms is that once activated, they may have a disorienting effect on you as well as your attacker. In addition, these alarms are not a physically repelling protective device, and may not work as well as pepper spray to disable an attacker.

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