It is summertime in California, which means singing along to your favorite tunes and hanging out with friends. All year long you’ve been waiting to let go, go on vacation, and bring out your favorite summer playlist. You’ve got your swimsuit on, and the car packed for the beach. You’re all set, right? Wrong. You’ve forgotten to think about your safety, and the safety of those around you.
Even though you want to be carefree this summer, you still need to take the necessary steps to be safe. Before heading out anywhere alone, notify a family member, or close friend of your plans. It may seem ridiculous, but if something were to happen to you while you were alone, no one would know. Notifying someone of your plans allows them to know where you are, and to worry about you if they don’t hear back from you at some point. Traveling alone this summer can be a freeing experience, but can turn into a criminal mystery real quick if no one knows you plans.
If you’re traveling with friends this summer, talk about your plans. If you all plan on spending the night before drinking the night away, it’s best to set up an alternative way home, instead of driving yourselves. Knowing ahead of time that you plan on taking a taxi home will help eliminate the drama of last minute changes of plans. It also gives your group of friends the peace of mind of who is the designated driver. Most importantly, it doesn’t allow any drunk driving to occur.
Summer is all about exploring, but don’t surround yourself with strangers. Going to a party alone with strangers is a recipe for disaster. Party settings are usually full of drinking, smoking, and people making bad decisions. Don’t let yourself be in that kind of situation. Bringing a friend that you know to a party will bring you some peace of mind. If things don’t go well at the party, you’ll have a familiar face that you know you can count on.
Summer is the best time to cut loose and be a little crazy. However, you still need to be safe, and accountable for your actions. You can still have a carefree summer, just take a few small steps to remain safe. These small steps could make the difference between life and death. That may seem too serious for the summertime, but situations can turn deadly if no one took the necessary precautionary steps.