When you are talking about Security and Personal Protection you need to focus your attention and training on the three areas you spend most of your time.
For the average person these are: Home, Vehicle, Work.
Out of these three the Vehicle is the one with the most variables.
Some good fundamentals in this article for sure, most notably:
Don’t fart around in parking lots. I don’t care how public or well lit they are. Go directly to your vehicle, get in, lock the doors and LEAVE. (Note: Some modern vehicle models only lock the doors when you place the vehicle in DRIVE…KNOW what your specific vehicle does in this regard and if the doors do not lock automatically, get in the HABIT of locking them as soon as you get in.)
If you go ARMED, the advice about having your key’s out when walking to your vehicle is a NO GO. I want my hand’s free of anything in the event I need to fend off/draw my weapon. I know a lot of trainers tell women specifically to have their key’s out when walking to their car because they make for a good weapon and that’s OK I guess if you want to bet your life on stabbing a violent drug addict with a 1 inch piece of metal.
An addendum to the #2 is since most newer vehicles are keyless entry nowadays, it would pay to get in the habit (Remember Safety is a Lifestyle not a fad) of before leaving the store and your vehicle is within your line of sight, to hit the unlock on your key fob and place the keys back in your pocket. That way you are hands free in the parking lot.
This goes more into Tactical Driving Habits, but the part about keeping a half to a full car length space between you and the car in front of you while driving to allow you room to escape in the event of trouble is HUGE! Practice it!
Pat-Mac has some great tips on this Subject as well, by the way I highly recommend checking out his YouTube channel, the guy is SOLID as they come and has some GREAT Tips for everyday, practical SAFE living.
