Know where you're going, how you'll leave and who you can contact. These steps work for a weekend road trip, a work trip or a semester abroad.
If someone attacks you, that's on them, not you. Preparing gives you more options, but no plan or product guarantees safety.
These figures come from federal travel data and FAA rules, not your odds on any trip. Sources are listed below.
Most travel data counts events, not the risk of a particular trip. The clearest lesson in it is about how you get around.
1,534 deaths reported to a US embassy or consulate, 2019–2021.
CDC Yellow Book 2026, figure 3.10.1, using State Department data. Leaves out deaths not reported to a US embassy or consulate. Includes US citizens living abroad as well as visitors, and overlaps pandemic travel. "All other" includes armed conflict, other accidents and unknown causes. A historical count, not a death rate for tourists.
Motor vehicle crashes were the largest single category. That's why seat belts, sober drivers and verified rides sit near the top of this guide.
BJS estimates 25.7 nonfatal violent victimizations per 1,000 US residents age 12 and older in 2025 (preliminary). That covers residents in the US and leaves out incidents abroad. It isn't the share of travelers who are attacked.
Not one the data can prove. Surveys count when incidents happened, not how many people were out at the time.
In a survey of residents of England and Wales (year ending March 2025), 37.3% of stranger violence incidents happened between 6 p.m. and midnight, the largest of four six-hour periods. More people are out in the evening, so more incidents then is what you'd expect. The survey covers residents, not tourists.
Plan your ride back before an evening out, while you can choose without hurrying.
Keep the same habits in daylight. Busy streets and tourist spots still call for attention to your bag and your surroundings.
Use current local advice for a specific street, station or venue. A broad survey can't tell you about tonight.
Do it at home, before arrival fatigue or a dead phone makes it harder. Start with five questions.
Where am I going?
How am I getting there?
Where am I staying?
What are the local rules?
How am I getting home?
Read the current State Department advisory, including regional exceptions, and check again close to departure. On a US trip, check local and transit notices. Confirm entry rules, local laws and any accessibility needs.
Book your ride from the airport and your first night ahead of time. Save the pickup steps and a backup option. If you can, arrive while reception and transport are fully staffed.
Give someone you trust your itinerary and where you're staying. Agree on check-ins and what they'll do if you miss one. US citizens can join STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, for embassy alerts.
Save maps, your lodging address in the local language, emergency numbers and bookings offline. Keep a paper list of key numbers, document copies and a second way to pay apart from the originals. Confirm your medical coverage abroad.
Update it, use a strong screen lock and make sure you can recover your accounts without it. Keep it charged. If you get an unexpected booking or payment message, check it in the official app or by calling a number you already trust.
Knowing how to use a safety tool doesn't mean you're allowed to carry it. Check every airline, carrier, state, country, hotel and venue on your trip, and the trip home.
Never in a carry-on or personal item. FAA rules allow one self-defense spray per passenger, up to 4 fl oz (118 ml), in checked baggage, with a safety mechanism that prevents accidental discharge. Sprays with more than 2% tear gas (CS or CN) aren't allowed. Some airlines ban it entirely, so check yours.
International aviation rules (ICAO and IATA) prohibit self-defense sprays in both carry-on and checked bags. Don't assume the US exception applies. Check the law in your destination country before you buy or carry spray there.
Pepper spray rules vary by state and city, and some places limit who can buy or carry it. Hotels, rentals, venues and events can set their own rules too. Keep a flashlight, a charged phone and any lawful alarm where you can reach them.
Check the law in each state on your route, not only where you end up. Plan stops at busy, well-lit gas stations and rest areas.
Road trip safety tipsRail lines, bus companies and city transit systems have different rules. Check the carrier's policy before you bring a safety tool on board.
Public transit safety tipsCruise lines screen bags and set strict security rules, and each port has its own laws. Check with the cruise line before you pack.
Cruise safety tipsWithin the US, sending POM to where you're staying can be simpler than flying with it. Before you order, check that we ship there, that local law allows it and that your hotel or rental accepts packages.
We can't ship pepper spray to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, Washington, DC or Puerto Rico.
The trip back may have different rules than the trip out. Recheck your airline's policy, never bring spray through a security checkpoint and check every state you'll pass through. If you can't take it home legally, don't pack it.
Make your choices while you still have time and other options.
Stop in a staffed area to get your bearings. Use the transport desk, the official taxi line or the app's marked pickup spot. Keep your bags with you while you check a map. If someone says your booking is canceled or your hotel is closed, confirm with the original provider first.
Match the driver, car and plate to the booking, and use the pickup PIN if there is one. If something doesn't match, stay out and sort it out in the app. Share the trip with someone. Wear a seat belt, in the back seat too, and never ride with an impaired driver.
Ask calmly about an unexpected detour. It may have an ordinary reason. If you feel threatened, contact the provider or emergency services and ask to stop somewhere public. Don't jump from a moving vehicle.
Pick routes with open businesses and places to get help, even if they're longer. Step aside to check your phone instead of stopping at the curb. If crowds, a closed exit or reduced service limit your options, move toward staff or change your route.
Focus on what people do, not how they look, and trust your instincts. No single sign proves anything, and you don't need proof to change your plan.
| WHAT YOU NOTICE | WHAT YOU CAN DO |
|---|---|
| Pressure to move to a private room, a vehicle or an isolated route. | Stay in the public area. Choose your own route or ride. |
| Someone ignores a clear no, blocks your path or keeps touching you. | Make distance if you can. Move toward people and ask clearly for help. |
| Urgency, secrecy, or a demand to pay a new way. | Pause. Confirm the story yourself through a contact you already know. |
| A distraction while someone else moves toward your bag. | Secure your things and step away. Don't get pulled into an argument over a "found" item. |
| The driver or car doesn't match your booking. | Don't get in. Sort it out in the official app or at the desk. |
| A new acquaintance tries to separate you from friends or arrange all your rides. | Keep your own way home and meet in public. |
| Sudden confusion, stumbling or impairment that seems out of proportion. | Tell friends or staff and get medical help. Don't let the person leave alone. |
"No, I'm staying here." "Please give me space."
You don't need to explain yourself. If speaking up would make things worse, focus on leaving or getting help instead.
What changed? Where's my way out? Who can help? Which choice keeps the most options open?
The same thinking works where you stay and where you go out: keep your own way out, and keep people you trust in the loop.
Check the door and window locks, smoke and CO alarms, and the emergency exit. Ask for another room if something doesn't work. Any extra door lock you bring must not block your way out.
Meet new people in the lobby. Keep your room number private, and keep your key apart from anything that shows it. If staff knock unexpectedly, call the front desk before you open the door.
Agree with friends on the ride home, a meeting spot if you get separated and how you'll signal a change of plan. Keep your own way to pay for a ride. Turn down a move to a second, more isolated place.
Watch it being made and keep it with you. Replace one you left alone. Looks, taste or a cover can't tell you a drink is safe. Plan your ride before you start drinking.
Stay with them and tell friends or venue staff. Don't let them leave alone or with someone you just met. Get medical help, and call the local emergency number for severe or worsening symptoms, unconsciousness or trouble breathing.
Tell medical staff spiking is possible. Symptoms alone can't show the cause, and care comes before evidence. Keep the glass or messages only if it's safe.
If someone assaults you, that's on them, no matter what happened before.
Your safety and medical care come before your belongings or collecting evidence.
TRY SAYING"I think someone is following me. May I wait here while I arrange a ride or call for help?"
No single response works every time, so do what gets you to safety.
Can: help you find medical care, explain local resources, contact family or friends and replace your US passport.
Can't: act as local police, investigate a crime or pay medical or legal bills. For immediate danger, call local emergency services first.
Care is available even if you're unsure what happened or haven't decided whether to report. A clinician can explain treatment and evidence options. If you can, ask about evidence before washing or changing, but get care either way.
Reporting rules vary by country, and an embassy or consulate can help you find confidential local support. In the US, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is 800-656-4673.
Keep a copy offline. It takes a few minutes and works for a road trip or a flight overseas.
Before you leave
Each day and evening
Start with a charged phone and your plan. Then add what fits your trip, after checking the rules for every stop along the way.
130 dB pull-to-activate alarm with a built-in LED light. Clips to keys or a bag, and recharges by USB-C.
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½ oz pepper spray on your key ring, with a flip-top that won't go off in your bag.
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½ oz pepper spray that clips to a pocket or bag strap, so it's on you, not buried in your luggage.
Shop POM ClipNot in a carry-on. On US flights, FAA rules allow one self-defense spray up to 4 fl oz in checked baggage, with a safety mechanism and no more than 2% tear gas, if your airline allows it. Read our full guide to flying with pepper spray before you pack.
Don't pack it for an international flight. International aviation rules prohibit self-defense sprays in both carry-on and checked bags. Before you buy or carry spray in another country, check that country's law.
Often, within the US. Check that we ship to that state, that local law allows you to have it and that your hotel or rental accepts packages. We can't ship pepper spray to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, Washington, DC or Puerto Rico.
No hour is proven most dangerous. Surveys show more incidents in the evening, but more people are out then too. Plan your ride back before you go out, and keep the same habits during the day.
It depends on the country, and it isn't always 911. Look it up and save it before you leave. The State Department's page for each country lists local emergency numbers.
Consular staff can help you find medical care, explain local resources, contact family and replace your passport. They don't investigate crimes or pay bills. Call local emergency services first for immediate danger.
Stay with them, tell staff and get medical help. Don't let them leave alone or with someone you just met. Figuring out the cause can wait until they're getting care.
More travel safety articles from POM.
Make your plan, check the rules along the way, then pack what fits.
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