If you are walking or perhaps even have had to walk to a phone because your car broke down, be well aware of what is happening. Walk in opposite direction of traffic. When you do this, you provide yourself with the additional benefit of being able to see what is coming at you rather than to have someone or something approach you from behind.

This is particularly important when you are on a dark street or on a freeway at night time when it can be hard to hear someone approaching from behind.

Cars often will approach a woman walking along the side of the street, open the door, grab her and pull her in. Within a matter of minutes, you are gone and there is no trail left to help you.

If you walk against traffic, though, the car would be coming at you, you could see it, run or get out of the way, before it got anywhere near to where you are. This keeps you out of harm’s way more often than not.