Safety Tips when somebody is following you

With incidents of crime rapidly on the rise, there is a need to be aware of all the safety measures that one can adopt to protect oneself. Having such knowledge is very important and even more so for women as they can easily be victimized by predatory men who may try to assault or molest them. Such crimes usually begin by stalking. The perpetrator usually tends to follow their chosen victim for a length of time before making their move. So, one needs to be familiar with this hazard so that one is aware of exactly how to behave and what to do in order to be able to successfully ward of such an attempt.

1)    You should be aware of your surroundings at all times and not be distracted by your phone or some other such device when walking through any place or area. It is best to walk confidently while making eye contact with people around you. This lets people know that you are smart and aware of what is going on around you. If you are absent minded and not even aware of a threat that is following you, you will certainly not be able to protect yourself against anyone.

2)    If you are being followed while you are walking, you should immediately and suddenly change your course of direction. Sprinting or finding a hidden by lane where you are no longer visible to your follower can take the person behind you by surprise thus forcing him to abandon his attempt to ambush you.

3)    When you realize that you are being followed on foot, you should run and try to find an area that is well lighted and full of other people. If there are houses or shops nearby, you should immediately ring the doorbell and run into them asking for help and protection. This will also scare your stalker away.

4)    If you are being followed while you are driving in your car, the first thing that you should do is try to catch the number plate of the vehicle behind you. You should immediately call the police and inform them while giving away the license plate number of your stalker.

5)    You should never drive home once you realize that there is someone behind you. This is because even if you escape to safety this time, you are putting yourself at great risk and danger for the future by exposing your address and area of residence.

6)    It is important to keep your cell phone handy at all times so that you are able to make a call and inform somebody of the dangerous situation that you are in. You should also reveal your whereabouts to a friends or relative immediately and tell them about your predicament.

7)    You should drive to a public area like a restaurant or park when you find a car following you for a long distance. No one will dare attack you in full public view for fear of witnesses and being implicated.

Apart from following the above mentioned tricks, it is important to be cool headed and practical minded at all times while assessing your surroundings no matter where you are. Even places that seem safe can be quite dangerous once you let your guard down. At night time, you should try not to venture out alone and should try to go with a friend as women who are alone are the likely targets for being followed.