These 7 Tips May Save Your Life Today (Seriously)
Skipping this story could be a death sentence.
Sometimes, it’s the small actions that end up making the biggest difference in a life-or-death situation. Here are seven quick tips that could save your life or someone else’s — and trust me, you’ll want to start using them immediately.
Tip# 1: Know Where a Trucker’s Blind Spots Are
I once dated a woman who said to me with her bare feet crisscrossed on my dashboard,
“Take it from someone from a family of truckers; stay out of their blind spots.”
The most dangerous spots? Both sides of the truck, directly behind, and near the front corners. Stay clear of these zones to avoid an unexpected collision.
There is a general rule of thumb, if you can’t see the trucker’s side mirrors, then they can not see you.
Link: https://www.sharetheroadsafely.gov/
Tip #2: Shut Your Bedroom Door at Night
Closing your bedroom door while you sleep could save your life. It slows down fire and smoke, giving you precious time to wake up and escape. Most people die from smoke inhalation, not burns — so closing the door might just be your life-saving barrier.
Sidenote: if you love your pets you will let them sleep in your bedroom behind the shut door. Also, they told me to tell you that they get to sleep on the bed and you have to watch the DOGTV YouTube channel instead of that stupid show with the talking people.
Also, don’t forget to check your smoke detector regularly, and consider investing in a mini fire extinguisher for your home — these cost about $20 to $30 and could stop a small fire before it becomes something catastrophic.
Some parents use the argument of
“If there’s a burglar I want to be able to hear them and I want to hear if my children are in trouble.”
To those parents, I have a quick story for you.
When I was a baby the family across the street lost two boys to a housefire because their bedroom door was open and they didn’t have smoke detectors (it was the 80s). The father died going back inside to try and get the boys. The sad thing is the father had just said to my grandfather a couple of weeks before,
“I really should get some smoke detectors.”
It wasn’t just the lack of smoke detectors, but the fire department attributed their deaths to the boy’s bedroom door being open. The parents and older sister both had their bedroom doors shut.
Tip # 3: Don’t Leave the House With Your Dryer Running
Here’s a tip that could save the lives of the people or pets you leave behind. While dryers are convenient, they are also a major fire hazard. Lint buildup is often the culprit, and if a fire starts while no one’s home, it could quickly spread.
I learned this the hard way in college when my friends and I bought a cheap dryer off Craigslist. On the second day, it caught fire, and we had to drag it outside in our underwear — right in front of a yard sale. Talk about embarrassing!
This goes for anything that heats up: air fryers, toasters, or space heaters. Never leave them plugged in when you’re out. The air fryer incident came to my attention when I saw a video about a toddler alerting her parent to a fire from an air fryer. Her father fails to find a fire extinguisher which won’t happen to you because you know you need a fire extinguisher.
Tip # 4: Walk Against Traffic on Rural Roads (Except Around Curves)
If you walk on rural roads with no sidewalks, face traffic. It gives you time to react if a car swerves. When I first started walking with my dog on Tennessee roads, I walked with traffic — until I realized that I wasn’t hearing cars come up behind me because of my headphones.
Around curves, though, you might want to switch sides. Oncoming cars can’t see you until it’s too late, so it’s safer to walk with traffic in these blind spots. It’s also a good idea to only wear one earbud while walking down a road so you can hear any cars coming behind you.
Tip #4 Don’t Mix Vinegar and Bleach When Cleaning
Mixing vinegar with bleach creates toxic chlorine gas that can be deadly. It’s tempting to think that combining powerful cleaners makes things extra clean, but it’s a recipe for disaster.
When my cat had a UTI and was peeing on the tile floor of my bathroom, I didn’t realize he had a UTI and just thought the smell had gotten into the grout.
I quickly realized what I had done when I first treated the area with cleaning vinegar and then later hit it with bleach. How did I not know? Well, I do now and hopefully you do too.
Tip #5: Keep Your Phone Charged Before Leaving the House
Not having your phone puts most people into absolutely normal panic mode. But if your phone dies, so can you.
It’s essential to have a way to call for help if needed. If you don’t have a lightning charger, consider investing in one as it can be very useful. Also if someone was about to attack you or wants you to put away your shopping cart, etc. You could just put them on blast on the live stream.
I was initially annoyed when I bought a new fast charger with a USB-C plug instead of a regular USB port. This meant I had to get a new charging cable with USB-C at both ends.
Someone later told me, “That’s just how they’re making them now”. “THAT’S HOW THEY GET’CHA!”I thought to myself. It turned out to be worth it as I can now get a full charge in less than 15 minutes. So if a charger doesn’t have USB ports, but a USB-C port, that means it’s very fast and you should probably buy it, but you’re gonna need a new cord though, because you know…
Tip #6: Don’t Drive With Headphones On
It’s important to remember that driving with headphones on, whether in a car, on a bike, or a motorcycle, is dangerous. You might have witnessed this before — I recently saw an Amazon driver put on headphones before getting back in the truck.
It’s a risky habit. Headphones can block out important sounds, like horns or screeching tires, that you need to be aware of for your safety. One last note, It’s also illegal in many areas.
I learned this the hard way back in college when I got my first iPhone and didn’t know much about Bluetooth adapters yet (it was the mid-2000s). After a close encounter while driving, I quickly realized that using headphones was a bad idea.
Tip #7: Don’t Use Cruise Control in the Rain
Cruise control makes long drives easier, but it’s a disaster waiting to happen on wet roads. If your car hydroplanes, cruise control can prevent you from regaining control, as it keeps trying to maintain your speed when you need to slow down. Keep your foot on the pedal during rainy weather so you’re ready to adjust your speed instantly.
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As I was driving down the interstate in the dark last night, weaving around semi-trucks, it hit me how that simple advice from a woman I dated in my 20s has likely saved my life more times than I know. I hope this article passes that knowledge forward and helps protect others, too.
Thank you for reading and please stay safe.
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