Travel safety

Authorities emphasize the importance of taking precautions to ensure travel safety.^[8] When traveling abroad, the odds favor a safe and incident-free trip, however, travelers can be subject to difficulties, crime and violence.^[9] Some safety considerations include being aware of one's surroundings,^[8] avoiding being the target of a crime,^[8] leaving copies of one's passport and itinerary information with trusted people,^[8] obtaining medical insurance valid in the country being visited^[8] and registering with one's national embassy when arriving in a foreign country.^[8] Many countries do not recognize drivers' licenses from other countries; however most countries accept international driving permits.^[10] Automobile insurance policies issued in one's own country are often invalid in foreign countries, and it's often a requirement to obtain temporary auto insurance valid in the country being visited.^[10] It is also advisable to become oriented with the driving-rules and -regulations of destination countries.^[10] Wearing a seat belt is highly advisable for safety reasons; many countries have penalties for violating seatbelt laws.^[10]

There are three main statistics which may be used to compare the safety of various forms of travel (based on a DETR survey in October 2000):^[11]