Simple Self-Defense Skills

Traveling Families’ Safety Checklist

Personal safety experts share tips that can help protect stressed out travelers

A Traveling Families’ Safety Checklist can help to prepare you and your children for a season of family fun. If you have family travel plans this summer, more than likely you’ve thought about ways to lessen the stress and safety concerns associated with summer vacations.

Krav Maga Worldwide offers a Traveling Families’ Safety Checklist to ease your concerns as you venture out this summer. Founded in 1997, the company promotes more than 150 authorized Krav Maga locations known throughout the United States and around the world. Krav Maga develops, promotes and implements self-defense and fitness programs. You can find more information at kravmaga.com.

Tips you should know before you travel

1. Traveling can frazzle your brain

Between trying to remember if you locked up the house or packed enough clothes for the kids, thinking about personal safety in airport parking lots is the last thing on most parents’ minds. However, poorly lit parking garages, arms full of luggage, confusing parking signs, forgetting where you parked and children trailing behind can make families easy targets for predators. To help families stay safe while traveling, Krav Maga Worldwide, the industry leader in self-defense and fitness, has put together a list of personal safety tips to keep in mind when at the airport, train station or in an unfamiliar city.

2. Prepare Your Kids For Travel

It is very important to prepare your children for travel. The conversation should begin prior to the trip and be reiterated in the car on the way to airport or train station. In some instances, if the importance of staying together and being prepared is not taught children can wander around potentially hurting themselves or getting lost. Airports and train stations are very large and can potentially contain different dangers.

3. Park in well-lit areas 

If you are renting a car while traveling, when you park avoid spots next to vans, trucks with camper shells, or cars with tinted windows. You want to keep your car and family as visible to as many people as possible and as such you should also avoid parking next to tall shrubs or plants that could block views of your vehicle.

4. Stay Organized 

If you are traveling with a family the best thing you can do is to stay organized. Know where objects are in your bags so you are not presenting all of your items to potential dangers. Make sure your kids know where their items are as well. If you and your family have to stop and look through a huge bag of luggage, pulling item after item out is not ideal instead know where your items are, grab what you need and go.

5. Always keep one arm and hand free of luggage and other gear

Many people travel with multiple bags, purses, laptop cases and other paraphernalia. But, if your arms and hands are tied up with bags you have no means of defending yourself from an attacker. Luggage that can stack together securely and be pulled by one handle is a safer choice than wearing and carrying numerous bags on your person. This goes to say that your kids should also be hands-free and in close proximity to you.

6. Stay Together

Even though it can be frustrating to travel in a large group, stay together. Airports and train stations are incredibly busy and it is very easy to get lost. Make sure you always have a head count on all members and inform your kids that this is extremely important.