4th of July Travel Safety - Air, Land, Cyber and Backyard

The weekend is here! And the 4th of July falls midweek … do we take the whole week off, or take 2-days on the front or back end for a five-day mini-holiday or staycation?
Regardless of which direction you go, celebrating the 242nd Anniversary of Independence will be one to celebrate both near and far.

We tried to think of the various angles on keeping safe while traveling this 4th of July and offer the following which we culled from various trustworthy sources.

For air travel we went to TSA, for land we went to AAA, for cyber tips we went to NCSA and for BBQ and party tips, we went to the Oconee County Sheriff.

Traveling by air this 4th of July?

The TSA is telling us that you’ll have more than 28 million like minded folks heading to and from the nation’s airports. With the heatwave which has spread from coast-to-coast and the accompanying thunderstorms and tornados, you will want to stay on top of the weather for where you are and where you are going. TSA also suggests that you give yourself plenty of time during this holiday week (and through the rest of the summer). Here’s the TSA estimates from TSA which they shared last week.

Will you be flying for the #FourthofJuly holiday? Remember to pack properly, arrive early, and follow the instructions provided by our TSA officers. #SummerTravel pic.twitter.com/k2mMcfs24y

— TSA (@TSA) June 26, 2018

4th of July Road Safety Tips from the American Automobile Association (AAA)

The AAA always has our safety in mind and given the heatwave which is covering much of the United States, we urge you to stay well hydrated. And if transporting children and pets, please put something you need (like your left shoe) in the back seat to ensure you are physically entering the rear seat of your vehicle when stopping and thus giving yourself a memory aid that your pet/child is there. Every year we have a heat associate death of a child/pet because someone forgot they were in the back seat.

Here are the 6 road safety tips from the AAA.

1. Ensure your vehicle is properly maintained. If maintenance is not up to date, have your car and tires inspected before you take a long drive.
2. Map your route in advance and be prepared for busy roads during the most popular times of the year. If possible, consider leaving earlier or later to avoid heavy traffic.
3. Keep anything of value in the trunk or covered storage area.
4. If you’re traveling with children, remind them not to talk to strangers. Go with them on bathroom breaks and give them whistles to be used only if the family gets separated.
5. Have roadside assistance contact information on hand, in case an incident occurs on the road.
6. In case of an emergency, keep a cell phone and charger with you at all times. AAA and many other companies offer smartphone applications that enable motorists to request help without making a phone call.

4th of July Cyber Safety Tips from the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA)

The NCSA provides a number of helpful tips to follow both pre-trip and while you are traveling. This writer is one of the many thousand “NCSA Champions” and point many to the NCSA for advice, which comes at the perfect price, free.

They provide to us 11 tips for you to consider as you get ready to head out the door for your 4th of July celebrations. Many of which, are easy to implement, others will require a bit of homework. All of which are very doable. One that many of the admonishments concern social media, and we concur especially about travel posts. Let’s dig into these 11 tips from NCSA.

Getting Ready to Go:

Travel has become – literally – more “mobile” than ever before. Avoid mayhem and make magical family memories by taking a few simple cyber safety steps before you head out of town.

1. Keep a clean machine: Before you hit the road, make sure all security and critical software is up-to-date on your connected devices and keep them updated during travel. It is your best line of defense.
2. Lock down your login: Your usernames and passwords are not enough to protect key accounts like email, banking and social media. Begin your spring cleaning by fortifying your online accounts and enabling the strongest authentication tools available, such as biometrics, security keys or a unique one-time code through an app on your mobile device.
3. Make sure all devices are password protected: Use a passcode or security feature (like a finger swipe) to lock your phone or mobile device.
4. Think before you app: Review the privacy policy and understand what data (such as location and entry to your social networks) the app can access on your device before you download. Delete apps you are no longer using.
5. Own your online presence: Set the privacy and security settings on web services and devices. It is okay to limit how and with whom you share information – especially when you are away.

On the Go and Once you and your gang are at your destination

1. Actively manage location services: Location tools come in handy while planning your trip or navigating a new place, but they can also expose your location ‒ even through photos. Turn off location services when not in use.
2. Get savvy about WiFi hot spots: Do not transmit personal info or make purchases on unsecure networks. Instead, use a virtual private network (VPN) or your phone as a personal hotspot to surf more securely.
3. Turn off WiFi and Bluetooth when idle: When WiFi and Bluetooth are on, they connect and track your whereabouts. If you do not need them, switch them off.
4. Protect your $$$:Be sure to shop or bank only on secure sites. Web addresses with “https://” or “shttp://”, means the site takes extra security measures. However, an “http://” address is not secure.
5. Never use public computers to log in to any accounts: Be extremely cautious on public computers in airports, hotel lobbies and Internet cafes. Keep activities as generic and anonymous as possible.
6. Share with care: Think twice before posting pictures that you would not want certain people (like your parents or employer) to see or photos that would reveal you are traveling.

Party and BBQ safety tips for this 4th of July

The Oconee County Sheriff (you will find Oconee County is located in the Palmetto State, South Carolina) provides us with some excellent advice on staying safe, while partying.

1. Never consume alcohol and operate any type of motorized vehicle
2. Always have a designated driver and make sure you buckle up
3. Always have an adult supervise any firework activities
4. Always barbeque grills outdoors in well ventilated areas and away from anything flammable
5. When traveling by boat always be courteous to others on the water
6. Make sure to have a cell phone that is fully charged at all times
7. Wear plenty of sunscreen and stay hydrated when outdoors
8. Bear in mind that open containers are not allowed in parks and rec. areas

Stay safe, enjoy your holiday, and Happy Independence Day!