Advice On How To Avoid Getting Injured While Traveling Abroad

If you are part of the 900 million people traveling internationally throughout the year, it is important to stay safe. We have tips on how to avoid getting injured while you are traveling.  

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We are sure that the last thing you want is to travel and end up hurt or sick. This guide will help you not have poor judgment while you are vacationing internationally. Read on to learn more. 

You Are Not Superman or Superwoman

Injuries during travels are common when people believe they can jump into any vehicle abroad and tour a new location without instructions or without research. For example, hopping on scooters overseas without being familiar with the area or without knowing the laws of driving in that country is a bad idea. This can quickly lead to an accident which will entail calling a personal injury lawyer that is familiar with the local laws. Another example is renting jet skis and navigating in a body of water you are not familiar with. 

Make sure you know what you’re driving and that you are comfortable driving that mode of transportation. Also, wear protective gear if it is a requirement for that vehicle. 

Drink Wisely

Alcohol-related accidents are completely avoidable, but you have to make sure you drink alcohol wisely. A good rule of thumb is to follow the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines on how many drinks you should consume. 

When you are drinking abroad make sure that you are drinking in a safe and reputable bar or restaurant to avoid putting yourself in a dangerous situation. Also, never ever attempt to drink and drive. This is not smart to do living in the states, and it’s also not a good idea to do abroad where you can face a felony for being careless. 

Trust Your Instincts

If your gut is ever screaming at you to stay out of a situation or not go somewhere - it is wise to listen. Plenty of people will ignore their gut instincts even when their instincts are screaming at them. 

Not trusting your instincts usually leads to getting hurt or being in a situation you don’t want to be in. If you ever arrive in an area that seems dangerous, do not move forward with your plans. Especially if you are all alone on your adventure because if anything happens you won’t have someone there to help you or available to call for help. 

If you hop in a taxi and the driver refuses to turn on a meter in the beginning, it is best to exit the taxi. This is a common taxi scam where you can end up in a dangerous situation. 

Be careful when using electronics in a public location where they offer free Wi-Fi hotspots. Sometimes in foreign countries, there are fake Wi-Fi hotspots set up or government infrastructures in place designed to steal information from your digital devices. Hackers can learn your credit card and bank information via these “public” hotspots. 

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Research, Research, Research

A great way to assess the safety risk of where you are traveling is to do your homework. Do some research about how safe the area is. We highly recommend checking out the United States Department’s travel advisory. 

This will share the country-wide dangers you want to avoid. You will find information such as health risks, political unrest in the country, and any anti-U.S. sentiment you should know. If the website says to not travel to that country it is wise to listen.

If there is no warning about traveling to a country make sure you do some more research to learn more about the area. Check all the local areas you plan to travel to including the individual streets and the neighborhoods. 

Also, look at the main language spoken in the country you are planning on traveling to. If you are not fluent in that language, take out some books from your local library or take some classes online. You can also download a translator app on your smartphone and practice speaking that local language. 

Contacting an Embassy

If something such as losing your passport or having it stolen were to happen during your trip, you need to know ahead of time about the American embassy. Anytime something goes wrong in a foreign country and you can’t travel back home you need to know how to contact an American embassy. 

Look for this information before your trip and have the contact information saved in multiple locations. Save it on your smartphone, write it down in a notebook, and keep it in your luggage, and anywhere else you think. 

Give Someone You Trust Your Itinerary

It is a smart move to give someone back home a copy of your plans. Include as much information as you can such as your flight information, other scheduled transportation, hotel information, locations you plan on visiting, and when you are returning from your trip. 

Having someone you trust will make it easier to locate you if you were to get lost or go missing. The plan is to not go missing but having someone know your whereabouts will give you a bit of extra safety. 

Don’t forget to also let your credit card companies and banks know you are traveling abroad. This will help avoid them blocking your card because of suspicious activity. 

The last thing you need is to have your funds frozen because your bank flags the transaction as fraudulent. Calling ahead of time will allow you to make purchases abroad without an issue. 

Ready to Travel Abroad in Peace?

When traveling abroad it is best to be over-prepared rather than under-prepared. Even the most experienced traveler in the states needs to cross all their T’s and dot all their I’s before jumping on a plane to explore a new country. 

Following our tips above will ensure that you enjoy your adventures without sacrificing your safety. 

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