Don’t be ‘in the dark’ about road safety and home security:
Road safety
• Wear bright or fluorescent clothing during dull or misty days.
• Apply reflective strips to clothing so that you can be seen at night.
• Always cross roads at the safest place, ideally a pedestrian crossing.
• Try to plan your route along roads that are well lit.
• Remember it is an offence to ride a bicycle at night without lights.
• When driving, allow your eyes to become accustomed to the dark before setting off.
• Check your vehicle’s headlights and brakes regularly.
• If you park your car in a public car park in the daylight, park near a light source if you can. When you return in the dark you can easily check if there is any activity around your vehicle.
Home safety
• When you go out, always lock the door and close the windows, even if you are only going out for a short time.
• Avoid leaving side gates open and make sure ladders and garden equipment that could be use to force entry are not left out.
• Consider installing window locks - a burglar is less likely to break in if they have to smash a window.
• If you have deadlocks or mortice locks, use them.
• Don't leave keys (including car keys) or other valuables near doors or windows Avoid labelling house keys in case you lose them and they fall into the wrong hands.
• Don't leave spare keys outside or in garages or sheds.
• Visible burglar alarms, good lighting and carefully directed security lighting can act as a deterrent (but make sure that the lights don't affect your neighbours and that alarms turn off after 20 minutes).
• Fences at the back of your house may make this area more secure, but walls and solid fencing may let a thief break in without being seen - a good compromise is chain-link fencing or trellises with prickly shrubs..
• Keep hedges trimmed to allow natural surveillance.
• Fitting a spy-hole allows you to see who's at your door before you open it, or perhaps having a door with smoked glass.
• Fitting a chain-link to your door means you can open it and speak to someone without opening the door fully.