Once again it is festivals time and time to plan for trips and outings. May be you are only planning an overnight trip to an out-of-town resort or are moving out on a longish vacation upcountry. Some of you may even have worked out an overseas junket. Wish you all the best.

But before you embark, a few words of caution and a few tips on safety to help make your holidays happy and enjoyable.

First, plan your trip meticulously. Take care to make your reservations, hotel bookings well in advance, confirm and reconfirm them. Tie up the loose odds and ends. A very vital and crucial aspect is planning for an emergency, medical or otherwise, in a strange place and ensuring your safety while you are out?

Inform a family member of your planned route, when and where you will be and when to expect you back. If you plan to travel by road, start at daybreak so that you complete a large part of your travel in daylight. If you have a cellular telephone, take it, see it is charged and in working order.

When driving, keep doors locked and windows rolled up. Maintain at least half a tank of fuel and keep the vehicle in good repair. Identify the position of petrol pumps and good workshops en route. Even if pressed for time, stop to fill up the tank. Have your vehicle serviced and checked before you start. Keep a stock of spares, including a tyre and a jack handy.

If you have a breakdown, pull to the side as far as possible and turn your emergency lights on. If you have a cellular phone, summon assistance from a reputed source in the vicinity. Otherwise, raise your hood or tie a streamer to your antenna, and await assistance inside your locked vehicle.

Speak to strangers through a partially rolled-down window and request them to go to a phone and call police or a tow service; do not leave your vehicle until a law enforcement officer or tow operator is on the scene. On longer trips, be sure you have ample water and food in the vehicle.

If you are signalled to stop by any vehicle other than a police vehicle, acknowledge the signal and wave the driver to follow you to a safe location (where there are other people and light). Drive within the prescribed speed limit and take the shortest possible route to the nearest safe place.

If you have a cellular phone, dial 100, tell the call-taker you are being followed by a vehicle attempting to stop you. Request them for the nearest safe location if you are not aware of one. Ask for a police vehicle to be sent to the location you are in.

While parking, lock the vehicle, take the keys, and conceal valuables, preferably in the trunk. During hours of darkness, park and walk in lighted areas to the extent possible. When returning to your vehicle, carry your keys in your hand and be ready to unlock the door and enter as quickly as possible. As you approach your vehicle, scan the area, glance underneath the vehicle and take a quick look inside before entering.

While you are out of your vehicle, always be alert and present an alert appearance. Your appearance speaks a lot about your mental state. Concentrate on your surroundings. Be on the look out for suspicious characters. Of course, enjoy yourself with your family, but also keep track of others near you or what may be going on around you. Scan the area from time to time. Wear conservative, comfortable clothing.

Don't get so involved in shopping that you lose awareness of your surroundings, of others near you or of your personal property. Grip purchased items firmly and avoid leaving them unattended. Carry minimal cash and valuables and wear minimal jewellery. Be wary of strangers or persons who are inquisitive. Don't become intimate with some one whom you have just met and see no possibility of meeting in the future. Don't exchange addresses and telephone numbers.

If you stop midway and start shopping, it is much safer to use your plastic money, the credit/debit cards. If you don't have one, get one before you start on your trip. Using credit cards is much safer than carrying a lot of cash. If the places you visit don't take cards, use traveller's checks, which, unlike cash, can be replaced if lost or stolen. If you want to visit one of those money-vending machines, the ATMs, use the ones that are well lighted and located in populated locations. Visit them during daylight hours if possible. Before you enter the ATM, make note of the area around.

(to be continued)