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Buckle Up Your Kids

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and disability among children.

Children who are not properly buckled up may be seriously hurt not only in crashes, but also from sudden stops.

To keep children safe, EVERYBODY needs a safety belt or safety seat.

The violent forces of a crash can cause anyone who rides loose to be thrown out of the vehicle and seriously hurt. People riding without belts or safety seats can also hurt others who are buckled up by being thrown against them.

Seven out of 10 child safety seats are not used the right way. Vehicle seats and safety belts are built to fit adults, not children, which can make it hard to properly buckle up. Buckling your child in the appropriate restraint — the right way, can protect them during a crash or sudden stop.

The facts above are all the very reason why the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety created the Buckle Up Kids Brochure.

Whether you travel for leisure or business, a traveler must be on the aware that an identity thief may try to take advantage of you. Simply put it that you just cannot trust anyone you meet (cab drivers, housekeeping staff, bellboy, security guards, front desk clerks, etc) with your personal information.

Here are some tips to help you avoid being a victim of identity theft whether or not you are in a trip.

- Avoid communication about sensitive information in public
- Never leave your personal documents unsecured in the hotel rooms
- Don’t leave important documents in your car
- Don’t place valuable information on computers – secure it with passwords
- Carry photocopies instead of the originals when necessary and possible.
- Don’t carry all your personal information with you when you travel.
- Be cautious of your surrounding. Safeguard your access code (i.e. ATM code, computer password etc.)

(image source : associatedcontent.com)

Leaving gadgets in locked cars whether in another country or just around the block can be downright dangerous. What’s even worse is besides the expensive gadget getting lost, is the data that’s in it. It could either be a picture of your little girl or your sales proposal for your bigtime client.

If possible always bring your camera or any kind of gadget with you when you’re out of the house. However if you are forced to place your expensive toys in your car here are some thoughts to consider:

• Have a good, high volume car alarm
• Park in a safe, well lit and well traveled location
• Get a camera security bag

Some people just hop on planes expecting that their luggages will be with them once they touchdown. However, this doesn’t always happen and the people who experience this get traumatized bigtime because they just didn’t lose their luggage but also their money and expensive gadgets and accessories.

However, with the right travel insurance, you never have to worry about your luggage winding up on the other side of the world.

Many of us are tempted to purchase travel insurance just in case the travel gods are not looking down on us. Travel insurance covers several items, many of which provide an invaluable benefit.

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Jet-lag after a long travel can make the whole trip really bad quickly. Here are some tips on how to prevent or cure the accursed condition:

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Planning o going to the following places? Peru, Bolivia, Mexico, Tibet, or any place with a really high altitude (this includes mountains of course). Then you had best be prepared of getting Acute Mountain Sickness or AMS. The problem with this is that at the start, you’ll feel really uncomfortable while ascending or being at these places. People who will most be affected by this are smokers and those with heart problems.

Best cure for these types is lots of rest, water, and stop going up already! In order to prevent AMS, please follow the tips below:

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…also widely known as tip. It’s also connected with “Keep the change� when you pay someone for services rendered. However, how do you know whether your giving too much or too little? Here’s a chart below and the countries and services associated with tipping:

• United States:� 15%-20%� Expected, but usually not included in bill.
• France:� 12%-15%� Usually included in hotel, restaurant bills.
• U.K.:� 10%-12%� Service charge usually in restaurant bill.�
• Japan:� 10%-20%� Tip usually included in hotel, restaurant bill; otherwise, tipping not common.�
• Germany:� 10%-15%� Service charge usually included in restaurant bill; small additional tip is norm.
• Hong Kong:  10%-15%  Tipping common for all services. 
• Indonesia: 10%  Usually included in bill; additional tip sometimes added.
• Italy: 10%  Tips expected for most services. 
• Malaysia:  10%  Tipping usual for porters and room service. 
• Mexico:  10%  Tipping common for most services. 
• Philippines:  10%  Tipping common for most services. 
• Saudi Arabia:  10%  Tips usually included in restaurant or hotel bill; extra 10% sometimes given for special service.
  

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Sometimes, it can’t be helped that you need to travel with your kids on an airplane. It might seem like a chore, but it’ll be a breeze if you follow the tips below:

• Plan Ahead: remember to list down, and buy items and supplies you’ll need to have on hand while on the plane.
• Use a child restraint system for children under 40 pounds (18.1 kilos):Although kids under age 2 may be carried on an adult’s lap, a restraint of some form needs to be present.
• Keep your children under control at all times: Both you and the flight attendant are responsible for child supervision at all times. An unsupervised kid may go to dangerous places and might get hurt.

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Going around town might be a bit of a bother if you can’t afford to rent a car. The next best thing to do is take a taxi. However you may have to choose what kind of taxi you’re going to take as this tip below will show:

Unlicensed taxis are occasionally driven by muggers and rapists it seems – a global development as unpleasant reports have arrived from Bangkok [Thailand], Cusco [Peru], Mexico City and Prague [Czech Republic] on the same subject.
The obvious solution, if you can afford it, is always get a cab from a taxi rank or hotel or at least hail one that looks official – with a sign on the roof. Check the driver’s photo license. In Thailand get a taxi rather than the quaint but dodgy tuk-tuks.

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If you’ve just arrived and in need to buy locks go to a reputable store in that country. “Why should I, there’s a lock of locks for sale around here, why bother getting an overpriced one?” you may ask. Well read this tip below:

Recent problems with an expensive combination lock on a suitcase were solved by popping open the lock with one twist of a screwdriver. And if I can do it, so can anyone.
Furthermore, on investigation, little mass-produced ‘travel’ padlocks that you can buy from travel carousels at airports and in many shops all used the same key. Thus any half-intelligent, thieving baggage handler/room maid would need to make only a small investment in a couple of popular keys [e.g. the 'Go' brand] to get access to many cases.
Moral: Don’t use combination locks and buy your padlocks from a locksmith beforehand, including a spare, and check they require different keys to open them.

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