For many people, what makes traveling so enjoyable is that you can never fully plan your days and know exactly what’s going to happen on your adventures. And while most of these surprises will be happy and welcome ones, you may also experience a few not-so-welcome surprises as well, like a travel-related injury.
To help reduce the chances of something like this happening to you while you’re taking a trip, here are three ways to avoid common travel-related injuries.
Be Smart On The Roads
The most common reason travelers get hurt or injured during a trip is due to motor vehicle accidents. Whether it’s being in a car accident yourself or getting injured as a pedestrian, being on the roads can be the most dangerous part of your travels.
Luckily, there are things you can do to keep yourself safe when you need to be on the roads. According to Steve Mitchell, a contributor to Consumer Reports, you should always wear a seat belt when it’s available to you. Additionally, you should be very careful when riding on a motorcycle or any other smaller vehicle that isn’t easily seen by other drivers. And if you’re going to be out at night, try to have a local drive you so that the person behind the wheel is familiar with the roads you’re on and how others behave in local traffic.
Stick With Your Group
Depending on where it is you’re traveling to, you might have a higher chance of getting injured due to the illegal or violent actions of others. While the ways to avoid this type of accident or injury aren’t always obvious, there are things you can do to try to reduce your chances of being an easy target for something looking to take advantage of others.
According to Sarah Pascarella, a contributor to Smarter Travel, the best way to avoid becoming a victim of a violent crime is to avoid going off on your own. If you’re traveling with a group, do your best to stick with that group as there’s safety in numbers. If you’re not traveling with a group, try to stay in populated areas and refrain from walking alone on the streets, especially at night.
Take Care When Eating And Drinking
For many people who visit a new country or try eating new foods that their body isn’t familiar with, there’s always a chance that you could have digestional issues that lead to illness or injuries.
To keep this from happening to you, the CDC recommends that you take extra precautions when eating and drinking, especially in developing countries. To be safe, try to only eat foods that are cooked hot and only drink something that’s been bottled.
If you have travel plans coming up, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you stay safe and healthy during your trip.
