While the 4th of July has passed, a lot of you still have some traveling left to do this summer, so be sure your traveling safely.
In an effort to ensure safe travel, the Better Business Bureau has released several safety tips to help you avoid any speed bumps along the way or when you return home.
- Wait to post on social media. We all like to share our vacation adventures with friends and family, but wait until you get back from your trip. Giving too much detail about when you will be away, and your home will be empty, could attract thieves.
- Check your home insurance. If your home will be unattended while you are away, make sure you know your responsibilities under your home insurance policy. Some policies do not cover damage if nobody checks on your for a certain amount of time.
- Share a copy of your itinerary with a family member or friend. Include the contact information of someone joining you on your trip.
- Take a map. People rely heavily on smartphones and GPS. Have a hard copy backup in case of technical difficulties or if you are going through an area with poor cellphone reception.
- Check the weather conditions where you will be traveling and pack appropriate supplies and clothing.
- Avoid traveling alone. Use the buddy system and stick with your friends.
- Use hotel safes to store extra cash and keep any valuables under lock and key.
- Avoid broad internet searches. Try to avoid entering phrases like ‘best deals’ into whichever search engine you use. Broad search terms like that can sometimes lead you to websites that look official, but are designed solely to rip people off.
- Be alert for travel scams. Watch out for phone calls or letters claiming that you’ve “won a trip” or websites offering prices that are too good to be true. It’s easy to extend questionable offers like these, but the vast majority of them leave hopeful travelers in limbo – and out money.
A tweet from the BBB also listed several key tips to ensure safety while traveling.
BBB WARNING: Don’t post your travel status on Facebook! A burglar might see it and decide to stop by your house… #BBB #TravelTips #SocialMediaSafetyTips #VacationVibes #Scams pic.twitter.com/zS5djIKfZR
— Tri-State BBB (@tristatebbb) June 30, 2018
