Situational Awareness – How to stay safe while traveling

Article by Greg Rickman, Tiffin Ambassador

Every day, all day, there are news reports of tragic incidents around the country.  Crime, fires, accidents, and weather related incidents dominate the news cycle.  The old news motto has always been “if it bleeds, it leads”, a saying never been more accurate than today.  We are constantly bombarded with these types of stories.

Yet, we always hope that we never encounter any of those things, and most of the time you won’t.  Until you do.  So what do we do to prepare ourselves for these life changing events and how to survive them while we travel the country, living this great RV lifestyle?

It’s called Situational Awareness.

Situational awareness by definition is the ability to perceive, understand, and effectively respond to one’s situation.  It involves comprehending a given circumstance, gathering relevant information, analyzing it, and making informed decisions to successfully address any potential risks, hazards, or events that might occur.

In simple terms, situational awareness means being aware of what’s happening around you and understanding the situation, so you can make informed decisions and react appropriately.

Over the next three issues, I will attempt to change the way you look and think about everyday situations and events that happen while you are traveling.  That odd looking car that drives through your campground or that uneasy feeling you get while at a rest area or a WalMart parking lot.  Or an ugly encounter with a crazy driver on the road.  And so many more.

The first part in the series will cover information about how to be vigilant while staying in roadside rest areas and other parking locations.  The second will talk about staying safe while traveling on the road to and from your destination and the last will be about safety and awareness while at your campground or resort.

The information I provide comes from research and experience from a 40-year career in law enforcement.  It will not be all inclusive because there is no way you can prepare for everything, as every incident or situation is different.  You may or may not agree with everything I write.  But it is my hope that the information and tips I provide will prepare you for some of these life altering events you may run into while on the road.  Get you to think.  Because, sooner or later, if you travel enough, you are bound to encounter these types of situations.  You may already have.  That’s just the world we live in today.

I realize that a series of articles on a topic such as this are not the usual happy stories about a campground or an attraction, or even a new RV product.  These are the things we don’t like to think about.  But we must.  Because it might be the difference between being a witness, or being a victim.  So stay tuned and stay safe.

About the Author:

Greg’s dream was to own a motorhome after his retirement from a long career in law enforcement.  He and his wife Tina live in Baneberry, TN part of the year and travel this great country in their Tiffin Phaeton 40IH, enjoying the excitement of exploring new places and meeting new people.  Their motto is “If you can’t wear shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt, we ain’t going!”