Five safety resolutions you can keep

With the dawn of a New Year upon us, those of us committed to self improvement will no doubt be composing our lists of resolutions for 2013. Often, the things we want to change about ourselves are very apparent...yet other times still, while we know we want a change, we're unsure of where to effect one. If you find yourself “shopping” for resolutions for 2013, consider our suggestion: commit to a safer 2013. Here are our five suggestions for doing so.

Drink responsibly – The beauty of this one is that, if your methods for ringing in the New Year involve eating, drinking, and being merry, you can uphold this resolution right at the break of the coming year's advent. If you know that you will be consuming alcohol, make your plans for transportation well in advance—resist the temptation to “play it by ear.” Have a designated driver, or have a cab number handy for when you need it.

Give up road rage – Challenge yourself to adopt a new outlook when it comes to bad drivers that you have to contend with on the road. For example, if an aggressive driver pushes their way in front of you, rather than feeling like you've been cheated, let them have their way. While standing your ground is important in other areas of life, it simply isn't worth the risk on the road. You'll have an easier time managing this one if you ensure you have given yourself plenty of time to drive where you need to: you are less likely to be excited to frustration when you are relaxed and unhurried.

Go for your annual checkups – We usually think of safety as protecting ourselves from external sources of danger, but it's important for us to regulate internal sources of harm as well: namely, sickness. Be sure to go for a physical once a year, and see your dentist twice yearly. If there are additional visits that someone of your demographic should be observing, be sure that you are on top of those as well.

Be emergency ready – If you haven't already done so, put together some resources for your family for emergency situations. There may be emergency situations that draw you out of your home, in which case you want to make things easy for a friend or family member who comes to look after your house in your absence. A binder with your household procedures, frequent contacts, and information about the whereabouts of key items is a good way to start. Having some ready to go meals in the freezer can be useful as well. Conversely, some emergencies may bind you to your home. In this case, you want to ensure that you have your emergency kits well stocked. Be sure to have adequate drinking water, food, and personal/medical items on hand for several days.

Be neighbourly – If there are people in your neighbourhood that you have yet to meet, make it a point to get to know them this year. Having a strong sense of community fosters safety, as the individual members of the community ensure that they are looking out for one another's well being.

How else might you commit to safer year? We'd love to hear from you!