by Tony Scotti
President of Tony Scotti Associates

Your behavior behind the wheel is important. If you appear to be rich, weak, lost, confused or preoccupied, you increase your chances of being attacked. If you are, and appear to be, aware of your surroundings, confident, know where you are going and in control, you decrease your chances. Maintain your awareness at all times. Bad things happen when you are not paying attention.

It is safer to drive a plain vanilla car than a sexy BMW, Mercedes or one of the new high visibility cars like a Dodge Stealth. If you cannot resist, downplay any signs of ostentation in the passenger cabin.

Drive like a fighter pilot. Learn to check either side and behind you frequently. Develop the three-mirror scan, left side, (center) rear view mirror, and right side view mirror. Consciously check to “See” what you can see. Don’t let it simply be an unconscious habit you occasionally do.

Make driving with your windows up and the doors locked a habit. Run the air conditioner for fresh air and cooling; it’s worth the extra gallon or so per tank.

Never, ever roll down your window, even a crack, to speak to a stranger who approaches your car. You can be heard just a well through a closed window. A popular form of attack uses this type of approach, so don’t let them catch you off guard.

Consider the purchase of a cellular telephone and subscribe to the least busy service offered in your area. Cellular service is available in all urban and most suburban areas in the United States and Canada. Pick the least busy service so that your call can get through in an emergency.

Program 911 into the phone’s one key dialing memory. Also program the business telephone numbers of the police departments servicing the areas through which you normally drive. If the 911 number is busy, you can often get through to the police by using their business phone number.

Know where you are at all times. Carry an up-to-date city map in your car. Use it to check your route before starting out if you are unfamiliar with the streets and the area.

Never leave the map on the seat where it is visible from the outside. It marks you as unfamiliar with the area and far from home. Copy instructions onto a small piece of paper including the names of streets beyond in case you overshoot and hide the map under the seat.

If your city has a dedicated radio station which provides traffic and/or route updates, listen to it periodically. If not, find a radio station that provides frequent traffic reports. Know when they come on. It will usually be at times such as on the hour, on the half hour, and on the quarter hour.

Do not drive next to curbs or median strips in heavy traffic. It is easy to smash a window, yank open a door and slide in or reach in to steal your belongings when you are stopped for a traffic signal, or creeping along in heavy traffic.

Keep watch on both sides of the street at intersections. If someone is paying you an inordinate amount of attention, pick up your cellular phone and pretend to dial a number while looking right at them. If they start toward you, dial the police business number. If you are sure they are going to attack you, dial 911, then drive away as soon as traffic clears, even if it means running a traffic signal.

Keep watch when cars or vans which pull alongside your car, especially at night. Use its interior controls to aim your side view mirrors to watch for doors being opened next to your car.

Think about parking options. Where do you normally park? Is the area secured? Is there a security patrol or a guard? Will you be leaving or returning to your car after dark? Is the area well-lighted? If possible, park only in secured parking lots. If you run into trouble, sound your horn, short and long beeps.