Many of us focus so much on travel risks that are highly unlikely—violent crime, terror attacks, catching some gruesome rare disease—that we forget about mundane risks that are far more likely to ruin a trip: traffic accidents, pickpockets, food poisoning…. Here are 12 simple things you can do to prevent common threats.

Drive carefully to/from the airport.
Motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause of death of Americans overseas. In fact, instead of renting a car and wrangling with foreign rules of the road, consider hiring an English-speaking driver-guide who picks you up in a private car and knows the key shortcuts, parking spots, sightseeing stops, and local people en route. You can do and see twice as much in half the time. (If you’re seeking a first-rate driver guide, I can point you to the best sources via this trip questionnaire.)

A street in Sri Lanka, where pedestrian accidents are a far greater threat than civil unrest.  Photo: Timothy Baker

Look both ways before crossing the street.
Motor vehicle “rules” in many countries are not what you’re used to back home.

Looking both ways can save your life all over the globe, not just in London. Photo: Timothy Baker

Leave valuables at home.
Most of us have learned to leave fancy jewelry at home, but we now bring all manner of fancy electronics.  Consider leaving your larger and more expensive electronics at home.

Use your in-room safe.
Store your passport in it. Leave the Do Not Disturb sign on your hotel room door when you’re not in the room.

Use trustworthy Wi-Fi.
I carry my own portable Wi-Fi hotspot rather than logging into free Wi-Fi on the street.

Watch out for scam artists.
In big cities, pickpockets may prey on tourists, especially in crowded transportation hubs and at famous landmarks. Clothing with internal zippered pockets, or a neck pouch, are a good way to keep cash and credit cards safe as you walk around and sightsee. If you’ll be carrying a handbag, use a cross-body one.

In Pompeii, Italy, I wore a cross-body purse—and clutched it to fend off unwanted fingers. Photo: Timothy Baker

A few examples of scam artists:

I was walking in Buenos Aires once—in a good neighborhood, in broad daylight—when suddenly some inky, foul-smelling liquid landed on me and my husband.  Two young women sympathetically showed us an outdoor faucet where we could clean it off.  Suspicious, we opted to remain a mess and started to walk away—at which point the duo offered Kleenex.  They seemed a little too eager to help, so we quickly left the area. Back at our hotel, the concierge immediately guessed which street corner we’d been standing on and confirmed that we had nearly fallen for a common con: Had we put down our bags to clean up, they would have made off with them.

Other traditional scams in certain countries include the handbag snatch (you’re sitting at an outdoor café, you place your handbag on the ground or hang it on your chair, and somebody grabs it and runs off), the fake street fight (boys pretend to beat each other up, one approaches you in tears, pleading for money so he can get home to safety, you pull out your wallet and the kids grab it and race off), the crowded subway car (a group of women and children waltz into your subway car in a distracting whirl of colorful scarves and skirts, remove your wallet from inside your pocket, and exit before the doors close), and even the baby toss (a woman tries to hurriedly hand you an infant—some actually toss you a doll, in hopes that you will instantly drop your bags to catch it. An accomplice then swipes your belongings).

Malta is very safe. Just avoid one of the biggest mishaps that land travelers in foreign hospitals: tripping on uneven cobblestones.  Photo: Wendy Perrin

Dress smart.
I wear jackets and tops with internal zippered pockets that nobody else’s hands can reach. Rather than carrying my wallet, I keep small bills and credit cards in various pockets, so that I never have to take out the whole wallet. If you must carry your wallet in your outside pants pocket, wrapping rubber bands around it makes it more difficult for a pickpocket to extract it. Don’t wear brand new white sneakers. They’re a dead giveaway that you’re a tourist.

Don’t pull out a map or smartphone and scrutinize it on the street, oblivious to the people around you. 
Step inside a restaurant or shop if you want to check your map or study your phone.

Think before you photograph someone.
Don’t photograph policemen or anyone who does not want his/her photo taken. Here are some more tips on photo etiquette when you travel.

Program local emergency numbers into your cell phone.
I often ask my hotel concierge for those numbers.

Carry your hotel’s business card in the local language.
Have at least one of these so you can show it to non-English-speaking locals (e.g., a cab driver) and get back to your hotel quickly in an emergency.

A business card I took from the front desk of a hotel in Marrakech, Morocco.

Carry a mini-flashlight (so you’re never caught in the dark).
I once made the mistake of not packing one and learned that lesson the hard way. You can read all about my best travel mistake here.

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