* Always lock car doors after entering or leaving your car. Don't
leave valuables in plain view.
* Have your car keys in your hand and check the back seat area
before entering your car.
* If you think you are being followed, drive to a public place or
to a police or sheriff's station.
* Hang up on obscene, threatening or nuisance calls. Make a police
report if they continue. Do not have your phone number printed on
your personal checks. Try to provide only a business number.
* Your best defense is to be prepared -- know your options ahead
of time. Your safety may depend upon your ability to stay cool and
calm.
* The No. 1 killer of teenagers, before they go to college, is
alcohol-related highway accidents.
* About one-third of local arrests involve alcohol. Alcohol abuse
impairs judgment, causes injuries and kills.
* Pay attention to your intuition and instinct. If something just
feels wrong, it usually is.
* Use a purse with a shoulder strap. Carry it with the side that
opens toward you. Hold your purse securely.
* Park away from vans or cars with someone waiting around. Keep a
"Call Police" sign under the front seat of your car.
* If someone signals that something is wrong with your car, drive
to the nearest service station to check it. Do not stop and get out
of your car.
* Never leave an extra key under the door mat, above the door,
under a flower pot, etc. Leave one with a trusted neighbor.
* Have a light on in the room where you are and have a light on in
a room where you are not. It gives the impression that there is more
than one person at home.
* List your name on the mailbox and in the phone book with first
initial and last name only.
* Discuss safety plans with family, friends, neighbors, children
and baby-sitters.
