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Staying safe in the dark after a student night out
With the clocks having moved back on October 27th you might have been thankful for your extra hour in bed. However, now that the weekend is over, and you’re heading in to university this week, you’ll soon be cursing the dark afternoons as you walk back from lectures through the streets to your student home. With dark nights drawing in, and the coldness settling in for the winter, we give you our best tips on staying safe through the gloomy weathered months of the year.

Safety in numbers

No one wants to trek home alone in the dark. If you’re walking back home from university or heading to a friend’s house for an evening, try to avoid long walks alone. If you’re leaving a lecture, make sure you get into a group of course-mates that are heading in the same direction as you. If you’re going to see a friend, and they know one of your house-mates, bring them with you – safety in numbers is key when it comes to walking in the dark.

Don’t stray from the beaten path

If you absolutely need to take a walk out alone on an evening, try not to stray too far from the beaten path. Leeds is a bustling city centre, and if you stick to main pedestrian areas, there is nothing wrong with a stroll alone. If you’re heading further afield and into Headingley or surrounding areas, try and stay on main road routes, where the traffic will be frequent.

Listen out

We all love listening to music to minimise the boredom of a walk, but if you have to go on a long walk alone, you need to at least be aware of your surroundings. Try to keep yourself alert at all times and keep your music for when you’re safely on populated transport.

Don’t flash your wealth

If you feel like you’ve stumbled into an area that you feel vulnerable in, make sure you keep all your belongings and personal items hidden from view. You might think it’s urgent to text your friend back while you walk, but not only does that distract your attention, it also draws attention to you. Flashy mobiles, expensive headphones and other costly items are all great luxuries to have, but they’re also drawing attention to you. If you want to keep them for the foreseeable future, make sure they’re hidden from view whilst you’re out on your own.

Keep in touch with someone

We aren’t saying to stay in touch with someone constantly whilst walking, as that contradicts the point above. Instead, all we recommend is to let someone know when you’re setting off, and then get back in touch again when you’ve arrived. By having someone else aware of your route and timings for setting off, they should know something is wrong if you fail to contact them as they would expect. It’s always a good idea to have someone else know of your plans, just to be safe. There are many different ways to stay safe through the winter, with the dark nights, so for further information, local police authorities are always on hand to provide extra information on staying safe.
Published on: 26 Aug 2021