Use your vehicle to help you stay safe

Here’s some information on personal safety while driving. Keep your doors locked and your windows closed. Know where you are going. Stop and get directions before you get lost.

Avoid driving alone, especially at night and in dangerous areas. Never pick up hitchhikers. Drive to the nearest open business and call 911 if anyone is following you. Don’t go home.

Keep your vehicle in gear when stopped for traffic signals or signs. Try to leave room to drive away if threatened. Be alert for anyone approaching your vehicle. Keep purses and other valuables out of view when driving alone. Put them in the trunk or on the floor. Honk your horn or flash your emergency lights to attract attention if you are threatened while in your vehicle.

Stay in your vehicle if you stop to aid others. Find out what the problem is and offer to call or drive to the nearest phone and report the situation.

Keep your vehicle in good mechanical condition so it won’t break down and leave you stranded on the road. Also keep enough gas in the tank so you won’t run out. If your vehicle breaks down or runs out of gas, pull over to the right as far as possible, raise the hood and call or wait for help. Remain in your vehicle with the doors and windows locked until you can identify any person who comes to help.

Be wary of minor rear-end collisions, especially at night on dark freeway off-ramps. Remain in your vehicle with the doors and windows locked if you are uneasy or suspicious. Drive to the nearest open business to check the damage and exchange insurance information. Control your gestures and other reactions and keep “road-rage” incidents from escalating to violence.

May 17. DUI: The traffic stop takes on an air of alcohol from the very beginning at 2:09 a.m. in the area of Adams Boulevard and Darlene Way.

DUI: The home party takes a turn, and the hostess decides to take it to a professional level and hits the road at 3:33 p.m. in the 1300 block of Elsa Way.

Thought for the day: Thursday is the new Saturday, I guess.

May 18. Suspicious: The woman has a few near-misses running back and forth across the roadway carrying an empty trash bag at 12:10 a.m. in the 100 block of Ville Drive.

Vagrant: The residentially challenged woman advises the homeowner that she won’t be needing bus money as she plans to camp on the driveway for the night at 1:41 a.m. in the 600 block of Bay View Drive.

Thought for the day: The camping plans have been changed by officers, and the subject is given a courtesy transport to a location closer to her original home.

May 19. Juvenile disturbance: The three juveniles find that it is, indeed, vandalism to decorate playground equipment with a marker at 12:48 p.m. in the area of ABC Park.

Suspicious: The male running from the home to an unfamiliar vehicle is noticed by the neighbors and feels a little goofy about forgetting his cellphone going so public at 11:09 p.m. in the 100 block of Laguna Lane.

Thought for the day: The junior artists get a lesson on junior maintenance worker duties of graffiti removal and decide it’s not a future employment they would like.

May 20. Disturbance: The short-term rental turns into a nightmare when the intoxicated subjects decide to break furniture and scream at each other at 12:04 a.m. in the 1500 block of Darlene Way.

Auto theft: The house guest presumes the owners want to share all their goods and departs with the vehicle for a second time at 11:55 a.m. in the 700 block of Capri Drive.

Thought for the day: It’s a helpless feeling to hear your household goods may be reduced to stacks of kindling while you are in another state.

May 21. Vehicle fire: The disabled motor home appears to need a little gasoline, and something goes amiss at 1:46 a.m. in the area of mile marker 50 on U.S. Highway 95.

Animal: The rattlesnake politely attempts to find an entry point through the front door, but the homeowners are resistant at 5:17 p.m. in the 500 block of Swallow Cove.

Thought for the day: Pour a little gas in the carb, they said. It’ll be a snap, they said. What could possibly go wrong at 1:30 in the morning?

May 22. Theft: The caller states that the copper wire and quickie saw were taken over the weekend at 7:11 a.m. in the area of Birch Street and Colorado Avenue.

Suspicious vehicle: The caller states that a vehicle is parked on the sidewalk and the elderly man does not appear to be acting normal at 4:02 p.m. in the 500 block of Nevada Way.

Thought for the day: We are constantly worried about our elders and so glad this resident is safe.

May 23. Animal: The caller reports the neighbor dog is making a yelping noise at 12:05 a.m. in the 1000 block of El Camino Way.

Reckless: The Corvette and Mustang are hitting speeds of over 100 miles an hour at 3:39 p.m. in the area of Railroad Pass.

Thought for the day: The house sitter advises the dogs are just reminding her they are unhappy about camping out in the yard and are promptly brought inside.

Call(s) of the week: Suspicious person: The caller states there is a female sitting on the curb wearing a pink shirt, men’s underwear and one shoe and appears to be intoxicated. She, however, believes we may be profiling her for her blonde hair, but she agrees to drink elsewhere (if they will help find her other shoe) at 2:10 p.m. May 22 in the 600 block of Avenue D.

Tina Ransom is a dispatcher with the Boulder City Police Department. She is coordinator of the Boulder City Citizen’s Academy.