Imagine walking home at night after working long and tyring hours but now you feel like someone is behind you and continuously chasing you. If someone has faced this situation, they know how hard and panicking it is to feel like being chased. The UK is one of the countries where the crime rate is continuously increasing and more and more migrants are migrating for the sake of a better lifestyle and working opportunities. There are many sightseeing attractions tourists visit for educational and entertainment purposes.
In this blog, we are going to share the top 10 tips for walking at night. As a security guarding company in the UK that has provided close protection services for years, we don’t recommend walking alone at night in the UK. But at some point, if you don’t have any other option other than walking alone at night, these tips can help you save yourself from being robbed or harmed. There are plenty of tips on the internet for those who walk at night, but the tips we are sharing today are the most unique, smart, and helpful. Read this blog completely and you will get to know a lot about walking at night with complete safety measures and cautions.
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10 Safety Tips for Walking at Night
Here are the top most smart and helpful safety tips for walking at night in the UK for personal security:
1- Use the Smart Phone as a Safety Tool
Smart is one of the most creative and helpful innovations that comes with advanced features, apps, and more. Smartphone isn’t just about calling or chatting, there are several features and apps you can use to mitigate the risk by a huge margin. One of the best things you can do is share your location with someone you trust the most.
When leaving home at night or the working establishment, start sharing your live location with some family member, friend, or relative. Sharing the live location can help you a lot in recovering if something bad happens to you. Moreover, you can enable the emergency SOS mode that comes in both Androids and Apple phones. This will help you alert someone quickly in the case of an emergency or accident.
2- Small Personal Alarm
Carrying a small personal alarm can be one of the wisest gadgets to take with you when walking at night for personal security. These chargeable alarms emit high-frequency sounds and alert the nearby people. Mostly, the thieves and robbers also run after you trigger the alarm to ensure they don’t get caught.
Moreover, if you don’t have the alarm while being chased, look for the sharp turn, and right after taking the turn, start running as fast as you can to save yourself. The person behind will not know that you have started running until they also reach the turn and see you running. You can also shout while running to grab the attention of the people working on the night shifts.
3- Walk with Confidence
We often say that confidence is the key. When walking at night, walk with confidence instead of looking lost or afraid because it will make a potential target. It’s in the nature of the predator to look for the easy prey.
So when walking at night, keep your posture straight and walk like you are being monitored. Also, keep analysing your surroundings and look in the eyes of every person for a second passing by. This will help you feel confident and keep the thieves or robbers away from you.
4- Use Decoy Navigation
Decoy navigation is one of the things that can help you check the maps when you are lost without showing others. So what you need to do is pretend like you are on a call with someone and start checking the map.
Also while pretending to be on the call, say something like “Yeah I’m on my way, it’s just a minute or two further… be ready I’m reaching your location”. This way, thieves or chasers will think that someone is expecting you and there is high chance that they will leave you alone or stop chasing you.
5- Use Fake Video Call
Using a fake video call is one of the best techniques to save yourself if feel like someone is chasing you. Imagine you are walking at night and feel like someone is chasing you. Now what you need to do is open the front camera, start recording the video, and speak like you are on the video call.
Also, pretend like you are telling the other person on a video call where you are, and show the surrounding buildings, and other stuff that can give your exact location. T
his way, the troublemakers will think that someone is with you watching and knows the exact location where you are. One of the former security guards shared this tip with and we are now sharing this with you to ensure your personal security during the night times.
6- Carry a Small Bright Flash Light
While exploring the markets, look for small flashlights that you can use during the nighttime. The technique here is during the nighttime, the process of pupil dilation and dark adaptation occurs to enhance our visibility in low light.
With the help of the pupil dilation process, the pupil in our eyes starts to shrink so that we can see things during nighttime. Now when you are walking at nighttime, it means the light is low and the pupils of the chasers are already shrunk.
All you have to do is turn the flashlight on high and straight shown in the eyes of the troublemaker behind you. This will be enough to temporarily blind the person until the pupil adjusts in the eye according to the light intensity. Now, this is the time in which you can react or run to save yourself from being robbed or getting harmed.
7- Use Shopfronts, Windows, and Building Glass
Mirrors provide you with a clear view of what’s on your back. So if you feel someone is chasing you for a long time, start using mirror reflections to analyse the person’s activities and behaviour. You can use the glass-made shopfronts, window mirrors, or building glass to see behind.
Moreover, you can enter the shop or gas station to get some time. Moreover, when entering the shop or store, keep an eye on the person chasing you to see if they stop or continue walking.
8- Start Walking with a Random Group If you Feel Unsafe
If you are walking at night and feel unsafe, look for a group of people and merge with them by walking beside them. Keep walking with them until you reach somewhere safe. This will help you avoid packing knowing a complete group of people is with you.
9- Be Alert While Helping Others
If a random person approaches you at nighttime asking for directions or something else, maintain a safe distance and don’t let them stay close to you. It is good to help others but your safety should be your top priority. Be humble and tell them about the directions but at the same time, stay alert and don’t let them enter your safe space.
10- Identify the Safe Stops
Before leaving your house or the working building, prepare your mind and think about all the safe spots where you can stop when feeling unsafe. These spots can be gas stations, retail stores, police stations, bus stops, and more.
You can also enter pubs or clubs and they often have security guards stationed outside who are trained to handle conflict and ensure safety. Always remember, preparing yourself before leaving is crucial and gives you a complete road map of what to do and how to react in dangerous situations.
So, these are some of the tips and techniques you can use to ensure your safety and security during the nighttime while walking alone. There are many other things as well including pepper spray, feeling your guts, staying low profile, and more to mitigate the risk. Follow these tips and always stay safe during the night walks and protect your personal security.
UK’s Police Emergency Contact
If you have been robbed or harmed anywhere in the UK, you can contact the UK’s emergency police at “999”. This is the number where you can contact if you or someone else is in danger to report the immediate emergency. The emergency team will ask for your location and alert the nearest patrolling team to reach you as soon as possible.
Stay Safe and Secure with Guard Mark Security
While we’ve shared a range of tips to help you stay safe during night-time walks, there are additional measures you can take to feel fully reassured about your personal security. At Guard Mark Security, we offer personalised close protection services, offering expertly trained and thoroughly vetted bodyguards to individuals from all all walks of life.
Whether you’re a VIP, a frequent night-time walker, or simply prioritising your safety, our team is here to provide 24/7 close protection services, ensuring you feel secure at all times.
Our services extend beyond bodyguarding. We’re proud to offer bespoke VIP protection packages, including residential security, so you can feel safe not just while you’re out but in the comfort of your own home as well. With decades of experience and a reputation as one of the UK’s trusted security providers, Guard Mark Security delivers reliable, professional solutions designed to meet your unique needs.
Contact us today, and our experienced team will work closely with you to create a customised security plan that fits your requirements perfectly, including comprehensive close protection services tailored to your specific needs.
