Traveling Healthy and Safety IQ Test
by Catherine Comer & Lavon Swaim
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Today's traveling woman has many opportunities to enjoy travel to destinations around the world. However, we believe that an educated traveler is a safer traveler and arming ourselves with knowledge on how to protect our belongings and ourselves while traveling will help insure a more enjoyable travel experience.
Test your travel health and safety IQ with this quick quiz by answering yes or no to the following questions. Add up your points to see how ready you are for your next trip.
1. I always research my destination before traveling to find ways to stay safe and healthy while on my trip.
Yes 5 No 0
2. When making a hotel reservation, I always ask for a room on the second floor near the elevator because this is considered a safer location than the first floor or rooms near exterior exits.
Yes 5 No 0
3. I have a copy of my health insurance policy in my travel file and know what is covered while I am traveling both domestically and internationally.
Yes 5 No 0
4. When traveling on an airplane, I flex my feet and point my toes every two hours to increase circulation. Yes 5 No 0
5. When entering an elevator, I stand near the controls with my back against the wall so that I have access to floor buttons and the emergency alarm while being able to view anyone coming or going.
Yes 5 No 0
6. If my passport is lost or stolen while traveling, I know to call the police first to obtain a police report for the consulate replacement procedures.
Yes 5 No 0
7. I avoid being a potential target for criminals by carrying valuables in a hidden money belt.
Yes 5 No 0
8. I always access the U.S. State Department website before traveling to foreign countries to receive a country profile and find out about any travel advisories that may be posted.
Yes 5 No 0
9. I always pack a small first aid kit while traveling and include adhesive bandages, ointments such as anti-itching, anti-biotic, and insect repellent, diarrhea medication, sun protection lotion, antacid pills, and anti bacterial towelettes.
Yes 5 No 0
10. When renting a car in a foreign country, I apply for an International Driver's Permit before leaving.
Yes 5 No 0
Total score _
If you scored a perfect 50, congratulations on being a savvy traveler. If you answered no to any of these questions, you may be placing yourself in a vulnerable position while traveling. You may not be aware of potential problems and how to deal with them. From students to seniors, female travelers face numerous on-the-road health and safety challenges. Our goal is for you to become a safe and healthy traveling woman!
Veteran travelers, Catherine Comer and Lavon Swaim hold degrees in tourism management and own TravelingSafe.com, a company focused on providing travel safety information. With 25 years of travel experience and 2 years of research, they have written their first book, "The Traveling Woman, Great Tips for Safe and Healthy Trips" now available from Impact publications. They conduct workshops to women of all ages teaching them how to stay safe and healthy while traveling. Catherine and Lavon can be reached at TravelingSafe.com, PO Box 824, Gresham, OR 97030 or through their website www.TheTravelingWoman.net.
