Contact us Time to face your darkest fears
9:48am Wednesday 24th October 2007 in News
The clocks go back on Sunday, and while that means an extra hour in bed, it also means travelling to and from work during the hours of darkness. We look at staying safe when the nights draw in.
IT'S A Wednesday night, you had to stay behind to work late, and now you're walking to your car alone through empty, dimly lit streets to the multi-storey car park where you left your car.
If your palms are sweating at the thought of such a situation, ask yourself: what are you actually afraid of?
According to a new poll by Diamond insurance, nearly nine out of ten women (86%) in the north west feel that crime is on the rise - despite the fact Britain's crime levels are at their lowest for 22 years.
The survey found that nearly three-quarters of women are afraid to walk through alleyways and 63 per cent feel unsafe in multi-storey or outdoor car parks.
In fact, the research by the women's car insurance specialist found that one in 10 feel unsafe most or all of the time.
And although your chances of being the victim of a violent crime are quite slim, nearly half of us are afraid of being attacked and one out of three fear being mugged or robbed.
The data reveals just how worried women are about their personal safety, but is it all in the mind?
Nationally, just less than in one in 25 people (4%) will be a victim of violent crime, according to the Home Office. And of those people, young men aged 16-24 are most likely to be the victims. Despite this, women are two-times more fearful of crime than men - but why?
"The media and society would have us believe that women are weaker and more vulnerable," said Julie Bentley, chief executive of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a charity specialising in increasing people's awareness of personal safety.
"The reality of course is that men are more likely to be the victims of crime.
"But for a woman to hear a news item about another woman being assaulted, it puts you in her situation," she continued. "It's the possibility of something happening even if you think the likelihood is not very high. Your fear is guided by what could happen rather than if it will."
According to Diamond's research, women's fear of crime is strong enough to make nearly half (45%) feel unsafe on public transport.
Julie's advice to women as the nights start to draw in next week is to keep your wits about you and to follow some common-sense guidelines.
"It seems like a commonplace thing to say, Don't take a shortcut down a dark alleyway', but if you live right near one and you've been walking down it your whole life, it doesn't seem like such a risk," explained Julie. Alleyways were highlighted in the survey as a location dreaded by 71% of women. The reality is people become victims when they're in an isolated location where help isn't at hand.
"My advice is be prepared and plan. Know where you're going, what the area is like and how you're going to get home safely.
She added: "Ask yourself, What would I do if someone followed me home or became aggressive to me on the train?' Come up with scenarios in advance so that you have strategies to get you through the situation if it occurs."
