Eminently EveThere is no doubt that travelling is fun, exciting and much needed every so often. Nowadays though due to social media, we come across so many posts on enticing places to visit and just based on the pictures everything looks heavenly. However, we hardly ever see posts of people who travelled and things went wrong.
Unfortunately though, many times things do not go as planned. The frequency is also increased by the fact that we never talk as much about these things so we never learn from each others ordeals. I hope that this article & future articles to come on this subject will help us avoid or at least be fully prepared in the event of such.
The issues to watch out for when travelling fall in the following three broad categories:
1. Injuries, illnesses & accidents
I know that there are many people who have never fallen sick for as far back as they can remember. People who have never been involved in a road accident ever and on both counts this will remain the case for many of these people. The only issue though is that you never know which side of the coin your fate lies until right at the end of your life.
Accidents happen to even the most careful people on the road. In the words of the Managing Director of the Traffic Society Council of Zimbabwe, “a road accident happens every 15 minutes in Zimbabwe & about 5 people die while 38 get injured every day” (a number that is on the rise each year). He goes on to explain that most road accident deaths can be avoided if appropriate medical assistance is rendered as soon as possible.
Medical experts say that the first hour (which they refer to as the Golden Hour) is the most crucial. Unfortunately though, the reality on the ground is that most road users do not travel with first aid kits and are also clueless when it comes to rendering first aid in most if not all situations. My recommendation therefore is for you and any of your travel buddies to sign up for first aid training (especially one specific to road accidents) and to always travel with first aid kits.
A feeling of preparedness is always better than a feeling of regret. Empowered Travel can provide you with the preparedness that you need with both the training and first aid kits. You can find the details on this link Advanced Travel Trauma First Aid Training & Motorist First Aid Kit or contact +263784887595
2. Safety & security
There has been an increase in smash & grab, highway robberies and other forms of crimes towards individuals in Zimbabwe. There are over 9’000 reported cases of robbery each year, over 10 recorded murders each week, over 20 reported rape cases every single day (and the list goes on…).
To view such statistics as distant issues and not imagine ourselves ever as potential victims is of course a normal response of our brain, otherwise we would never step foot out of our homes due to fear. However, no amount of affirmations will guarantee our safety or at least give us a fair survival chance should we find ourselves in such dark situations.
Certain safety skills such as situational awareness and other forms of avoidance mechanisms plus being able to physically defend one’s self and/or dependants as much as possible need to be acquired.
Empowered travel (+263784887595) offers Self Defence Training for both men & women which you can find here. A GPS vehicle tracker such as the one offered by Empowered Travel can also come in handy in kidnapping and vehicle theft cases. Nothing is ever guaranteed in life, however, it is always better to give yourself and your loved ones a fair chance to survive as many life challenges as possible. You will have peace of mind knowing that you did everything you possibly could have done for your child, partner or other loved ones.
3. Vehicle breakdown
There are very high chances that if you are always servicing your vehicle at the right time and using a good mechanic, breakdowns are not going to be a common occurrence of yours. However, if you do not have basic understanding of your vehicle, even the best mechanics sometimes take shortcuts and you end up with minor and sometimes even major vehicle breakdowns. A good understanding of one’s vehicle is indisputably needed by anyone who is ever behind the driver’s wheel.
Many have found themselves stuck in the middle of nowhere and with no network connection to try and get help, leaving themselves vulnerable to all sorts of things. Fear and panic kicks in and what causes these sensations in most situations in life is the complete lack of knowledge on certain crucial subjects and also being caught unprepared.
I don’t know how much I can emphasize the importance of every vehicle driver (whether male or female) to have deep knowledge and appreciation of this machine. It is crucial. Which is why Empowered Travel (+263784887595) offers Vehicle Maintenance Training and User Friendly Tools that anyone can comfortably use in times of emergency. These can be found here.
I hope this has been useful and that it will make your trips much safer and more comfortable.
Remember to have a little intimacy in your life & as always I’m talking about Intimacy With Nature.
