Safety Tips for Women Driving Alone

Posted & filed under Auto Safety.

While women are still considered lesser risks when it comes to car insurance – they still get better rates than men, for example – when women are driving alone they do have to be a bit more cautious than their male counterparts. Horror stories abound, but the reality is that some common sense safety tips will keep most women safe on the road, whether they’re traveling long distances, or just making a late-night commute.

What sort of safety precautions are advised? Here are some suggestions, provided by Irish driving club authority AA Roadwatch, and modified for a North American audience:

While You’re On the Road:

  1. If your car doors don’t auto-lock when you disengage the parking brake, lock them automatically, especially if you’re driving at night, or in questionable neighborhoods.
  2. Don’t keep your purse on the passenger seat. Leave it on the floor behind you, or on the floor in front of the passenger seat.
  3. Keep your back seat as empty as possible. If you’re on a shopping trip, or have a laptop you typically carry with you, put your bags or computer case in the trunk.
  4. Noise deters. If a stranger approaches your car, or another car is trying to push you out of your lane, or make you stop, use your horn.
  5. Trust your instincts. If you think you’re being followed, immediately go to a busy public place, such as a mall or shopping center – especially one with police presence. Failing that, find the nearest police station.
  6. Never, ever, pick up hitchhikers.
  7. Always keep your cell phone charged and accessible.

In Garages and Parking Lots:

  1. Always pick a well-lit spot. If you’re parking during the day, but know it will be dark when you leave, be sure you consider what the space will look like at night.
  2. Wherever it’s legal, and possible, back into a parking space, so you can drive straight out.
  3. Have your keys out and ready as you’re approaching your car; don’t waste time looking for them.

Must women follow tips like these for a few days, and then generally slack off. The key to staying safe, is staying alert, and listening to your instincts.