Stay Safe on Spring Break

Young adults often make part of their spring break with alcohol.The trick is to be old enough to drink and to limit how much you drink. Alcohol can impair your judgment and actions. I have been on both sides of drinking and driving. With both my cousin and my uncle not drinking but being killed by drunk drivers. My son in law who broke the golden rule at our house and had a crash wile drinking. We were lucky that in the last no one but my son in law was involved and he only left the scene with minor injuries. In America there is an average of one life lost every 31 minutes and every 2 minutes someone is injured. The best secret here is not to drink and drive.

If you plan to drive to your destination then you may want to take along someone who can take turns driving. Keep everyone rested with the added bonus of taking turns deciding on the music. A long car ride can be very trying on anxiety. The rider in the shotgun seat should stay awake so that they can help keep the driver company. Two alert drivers are always better than one.

Take along a map While we often rely on our phones for navigation there are some places that service is not available. Having a map is always a nice backup plan when on a road trip there are just old plain maps. Keep valuables in your car locked up in your trunk.

When you stay in hotels check in at the front desk. Softly state your room number or have it wrote down so that no one else that should not know your room will hear it. It is best to reserve a room that is above the 1st floor but below the 6th floor. First floor rooms are easier to break into, and rooms above the sixth floor are sometimes too high for fire ladders to reach. Make sure to make a mental note of where the nearest fire exits are as well as stairwells. Make sure all windows and doors are locked and secure. Make sure when entering or leaving your room that your door is shut.

Keeping your money safe while on spring break is yet another issue. If you plan to use the ATM head there in a group. Before using the ATM ensure that there is nothing that should not be near the ATM. If you do not like how this ATM is or there are people around that should not be there go to another ATM. When entering your numbers into the ATM cover the keypad with the other.

Be safe in the water as well. Drinking + sun can equal a bad sunburn and can maximize the effects of alcohol. It is important if you are out in the sun that you keep well hydrated. The feelings of faint or light headed are warning signs you need to find shade and a bit of water at once. Sunscreen is needed as well when out in the sun. Sun exposure during the hours when UV rays are the most intense between 10 am and 4 pm but even when it is cloudy outside the sun still has the power to burn.

When getting into the water to swim make sure to take a buddy with you. Be aware of the flag system for water safety. The red flag stay out of water, yellow flag use caution in the water, and blue flag swim safely. Be aware that in natural water it is difficult to know how deep the water is.