Vacation Safety Tips

If you are planning on a summer vacation then there are some things you’ve probably already thought of in terms of staying safe — sunscreen, lifejacket, bug spray, etc. However, when it comes to your safety when venturing out into the world, there are other hazards you may not have considered yet.

Among the more common things to be aware of, depending on your travel plans, especially if you plan to be near a body of water, is water safety. According to the CDC, every year in the United States there are close to 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings, including boating-related drownings, and 8,000 non-fatal drownings. Nonfatal drowning happens when a person survives a drowning incident with a range of outcomes, from no injuries to very serious injuries or long-term health problems and permanent disability.

In addition, it’s not just the kiddos that you have to be concerned about, adults fall victim to water hazards too. Pools, lakes, and other bodies of water can pose a danger, but the ocean is especially unpredictable if you aren’t familiar with how it works. Not to mention ocean-related dangers such as barnacles, rocks, and sharks.

However, before you descend into a fear of sharks and think that Jaws is coming for everyone, it is good to know that compared to other summer vacation safety threats, shark attacks are extremely unlikely. The odds of getting bitten by a shark are 1 in 3,748,067. In fact, death by selfie is more common than being eaten by a shark. Annually there are less than 50 shark attack deaths worldwide on average, with the USA topping the list of the highest number of shark attacks recorded, and over half of the US shark attacks happening in Florida. 

Therefore, despite the unlikelihood of it happening, there are some common-sense tips for avoiding sharks: Don’t swim at dawn or dusk, or after heavy rains. Don't swim near fishing piers, mouths of rivers, channels, deep drops, and areas between sandbars. Watch for blue or purple flags, which indicate sharks, jellyfish, or other dangerous marine life.

Travel insurance with emergency medical benefits and emergency medical transportation benefits can cover your medical care and/or emergency transportation if you experience a covered medical emergency while traveling, protecting you from unexpected (and enormous) medical bills.

From a financial standpoint, if you’re on vacation you should be on the lookout for things that could threaten your money. Pickpockets and grab-and-run thieves look for people with their wallets out, or their phones who make easy targets in crowded tourist areas. So keep your belongings safe and avoid a costly incident.

Another area to be aware of is online financial fraud. Hackers expose the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans every year with some billions of dollars in online theft and fraud being reported to authorities.

So keep your online information safe, don’t fall for scams, and be safe on your summer vacation.

 

 

 

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