You never know when you will get into a dangerous situation. You may think that it’s impossible given your lifestyle, but it’s always better to stay safe than sorry as life-threatening circumstances are even more perilous when you aren’t prepared for them.

Granted, you can’t be prepared for everything, but Redditors have decided what is the most important to know after brandon061416 asked, “What is a little-known fact that can save you from a life-threatening situation?”

While we hope that you never ever need to use these tips, let us know which ones you found the most surprising and think should be common knowledge. Also, share any tips that you have that more people should know of.

More info: Reddit

#1 If The Cops Invite You To Come Down To “Talk” Say No

One more…

If the cops invite you to come down to “talk” say no. The minute they tell you they are taking you, shut up other than you want a lawyer. Even if you are 100% innocent. Period. There are no gray areas to this.

Image credits: GooseNYC

#2 A Hug Can Be A Temporary Cure For Depression

A hug can be a temporary cure for depression. Especially from someone that loves the depressed person. It’s saved my life so many times.

Image credits: Trick_Enthusiasm

#3 If Someone Is Coming At You In A Threatening/Kidnapping Vibe, Pull Out Your Phone And Say “Facebook Live”

Tell your daughters: if someone is coming at you in a threatening/kidnapping vibe, pull out your phone and say “Facebook Live” and theres a good chance they’ll walk away… Since it’s “Live/streaming”. You don’t have to actually fidget to get FB Live up and streaming, just say that you are. (please do if your capable). It saved my 38 year old cousin from getting kidnapped while out walking her dog. She learned it from a 14 year old girl (friends with her parents) who was also almost kidnapped.

Image credits: TheInfamousKt

#4 Keep Attention At All Times

Awareness is a tool. Use it.

When you walk into a place you’ve never been, take note of everything around you.

When you meet someone new, pay attention to them.

When things are sketchy in any way, pay attention to them.

If you keep attention at all times, you’ll rarely be surprised by anything.

Image credits: BeneficialCloud8280

#5 If The Tornado Looks Like Its Not Moving Its Headed Right For You

If the tornado looks like its not moving its headed right for you

Image credits: anon

#6 Turn All The Lights Off If You Suspect Someone’s Outside Your House At Night

If you think you hear someone outside your house at night, your instinct will be to turn all the lights on. You should in fact turn them all **off** for two reasons: First, with the lights off he can’t see where you are or what you are doing. Second, you know your way around your house in the dark way better than he does, and if he gets in, this works to your advantage.

Image credits: Huskerdu42

#7 Know Where The Exits Are

Know where the exits are.

Image credits: OPENUPTHISPIT666

#8 To Have A Safer Sleep In The Car Loop Your Seatbelt Through Your Door Handle Loop And Click It In

If you have to sleep in a car, you can loop your seatbelt through your door handle loop and click it in for extra security.

Learned that from a truck driver

Image credits: AceQuality_

#9 Never Let Them Take You To A Second Crime Scene

Never let them take you to a second crime scene: If they’re trying to abduct you, and you let them, the kidnapping becomes murder 99% of the time. Fight like hell no matter what.

Image credits: caravaggio_was_metal

#10 If You Think You May Be Having A Heart Attack, Take An Aspirin

If you think you may be having a heart attack, take an aspirin. Actual aspirin, like Bayer.

Edit: many people are pointing out to chew it so it’s faster acting. Sorry for leaving that part out.

Image credits: Simply827

#11 If Someone’s Drowning, Use Something To Reach Out For Them To Grab Onto

Unless you have training don’t try to rescue someone drowning by swimming to them, use something to reach out for them to grab onto. They will grab onto you out of fear and not let go and you may drown with them.

Image credits: GooseNYC

#12 If You Have A Weapon, Know How To Use It

A lot of people find it appealing to have a weapon on them and that’s a personal choice I won’t go into lol. If you choose to, whether it’s a knife, or a gun, or pepper spray, KNOW HOW TO USE IT!!! You will be amazed how quickly your knife can be turned on you if you don’t know what you’re doing with it.

I also heard a piece of advice that is sad, but probably effective imo. If you’re getting robbed or attacked or whatever, don’t just scream or yell for help. Scream and yell “help my child!” Yes even if you don’t have a kid. That’s more likely to draw someone’s attention, especially if you’re a man calling for help. Hope this helps someone.

Image credits: thelesserdaughter

#13 Believe That Gut Feeling That Something Is Wrong

Believe that gut feeling that something is wrong.

Image credits: clove02us

#14 Never Put Something In Someone’s Mouth If They’re Having A Seizure

NEVER put something in someone’s mouth if they’re having a seizure. Try to turn them on their side, and place something soft like a jacket or pillow under their head while they have a seizure. If it lasts five minutes or longer call an ambulance. Source: 20 years of epilepsy.

Image credits: GoodbyeFeline

#15 Make Eye Contact With People In Sketchy Places

People commonly say not to make eye contact with people in sketchy places. However, eye contact takes away the element of surprise, which is often an attacker’s first weapon/advantage.

Image credits: ALTITUDE10K

#16 Carbon Monoxide Can Travel Through Walls

Carbon monoxide can travel through walls.

Image credits: greygainsboro

#17 If Bees Attack You, Run Away

In the **extremely** unlikely event you are attacked by a swarm of bees, most adults can typically just outrun them, especially if you run into the wind. Do not stop running, some bees will chase you for up to a quarter mile. Do not try to hide under water, they will wait for you to come up for air.

Image credits: XYZ-Wing

#18 Don’t Run After Punching A Kangaroo

If you’re fighting a kangaroo, as you do, punch the kangaroo as hard as you possibly can, and don’t run.
Running shows fear and then the kangaroo knows it can beat you.
The reason why you punch is because, in a kangaroos mind, any kick is way stronger than any punch. Let’s say 10x stronger (I don’t know exactly).
So if you punch them hard enough, they’ll back down because they’ll think you can kick them 10x harder than that.
If you didn’t punch them hard enough, well, you’re f****d.

Image credits: IDunnoThatsKindaGay

#19 Don’t Jog With Loud Music Playing On Your Headphones/Earbuds

Don’t jog with loud music playing on your headphones/earbuds. Many people pass away from not being able to hear cars etc

Image credits: funsized_

#20 If You Get Abducted, Scatter Some Of Your Belongings

In the case of an abduction, your best bet is to scatter some of your belongings, like an ID, on the ground. The possibility of tracking you down becomes that much greater that way.

Image credits: booksoverppl

#21 Don’t Pull Out The Knife, If You’re Lost, Stay Put And Don’t Panic

A couple different things for different situations.

If you’re stabbed and the knife is still in, don’t take it out. It’s plugging a wound and stopping you from leaking.

If you’re stuck outside in the cold, especially if you’re lost, stay in place and try to stay out of the wind. Stationary people are easier to find. Also, no matter how warm you suddenly feel, keep your clothes on. Your body flash-processes glucose in a last ditch effort to keep warm right before you freeze to death, and it can make you feel unbearably hot if you’ve been freezing for the last couple hours.

Above all else, if you can’t remember anything else, “calm people live. Panicked people pass away.”

Image credits: Sethrial

#22 Take A Basic Life Support Class

Take a Basic Life Support class. 3 hours and around $60 will teach you CPR, how to use an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), and the proper way to perform the Heimlich Maneuver. They teach adult, pediatric, and infant BLS in one course.

I’ve had my BLS card for 4 years, and I’ve had to use my knowledge 6 times. Worth it!! ❤

Image credits: KitchenWitch17

#23 Do Not Add Water To A Grease Fire

Do NOT add water to a grease fire. (Not little known but it makes sense to repeat it giving how bad consequences can be for those who don’t follow this advice).

Image credits: louwish

#24 Drink When You’re Thirsty

Drink when you’re thirsty. Too many travellers pass away of thirst while literally carrying water. Rationing water may be appealing, but it’s always important to drink regularly.

Image credits: Town_of_Tacos

#25 Keeping “Burners” Handy In Case You Are A Victim Of Armed Robbery Is Very Helpful

If you live and play in a big city or a place with a higher risk of crime, keeping “burners” handy in case you are a victim of armed robbery is very helpful.

That old phone you’re trading in? Hold onto it. Wipe it and carry it with you when you’re out. Also keep a burner wallet. Put 80-100 in it, with either a cancelled state Id (ideally with an old address, or even get a fake) or some older expired stuff and an inactivated credit card.

Keep your real s**t in a hidden pocket, boot, etc. if you do get robbed, calmly hand over the burner phone and wallet. The criminal will look inside, see some cash and a card, and then move on.

In almost all situations, losing some cash and a 4 year old iPhone is much better than losing your real s**t, having to go to the dmv, being without a cell phone to call for help, and having your credit cards used fraudulently.

#26 Never Use Cruise Control In A Rain Storm

Never use cruise control in a rain storm.

Image credits: GlitzBlitz

#27 Pack Lots Of Clothes In Your Car During Winter

Pack lots of clothes in your car during winter and keep your car well maintained.

Image credits: shred-and-bed

#28 If You Think You’re Being Followed While Walking Outside, Pretend To Get A Call

If you think you’re being followed while walking outside, pretend to get a call and respond ‘normally’ and say something along the line that you’ll meet soon. In the same scenario if you approximately know the person is slightly further behind and you round a corner.. run like an idiot to a more crowded or safer place. Go into a shop, bus, a group of people..hell even ring someones doorbell if you have to and ask to call the police.

Absolute worst case scenario if it’s in the middle of the night and nobody is out..and someone is following you..smash/kick someone’s car so it sounds a loud alarm..it could scare the stalker off.

Image credits: burgundian_bananas

#29 Alcohol Gets A Priority Pass When Ingested After Antifreeze

This is something that happened to me a few years ago.

After a week of heavy drinking me and some friends were in the back of a car heading home. We were sleeping off our hangovers when I reached over groggily and gulped down a few gulps of my water. It took me a couple of seconds to realise the water was blue.

In fact it was actually antifreeze in a water bottle that he had kept in the back. Antifreeze is tasteless and so is actually easy to drink. I immediately panicked and let everyone know I’d just drank poison, we pulled over and I tried to make myself sick repeatedly but I couldn’t due to my adrenaline even with fingers down my throat.

I recalled in my college biology class that antifreeze itself isn’t poisonous, it’s what it breaks down into, if you can drink something that stops that from happening then you’re okay. I distinctly remember my teacher telling me that alcohol gets a priority pass when ingested after antifreeze and you should immediately drink it if this crazy situation should occur.

I ran to the boot and started chugging straight alcohol that was left over from the weekend, I think I drank a half bottle of whiskey which was probably too much. At the hospital they actually gave me a tiny bottle of Smirnoff I think.

I was quite hammered the rest of the way back singing songs in the car while my mates all had bad headaches, my hangover was delayed for a day and probably a lot worse but at least I didn’t die.

A little more, yeah the bottle was just a plain old water bottle, the car was old and leaked coolant and my friend worked with cars. I still to this day realise how stupid it was having it lying in the back seat, but drinking it is no doubt much stupider.

I sometimes feel like it was some kind of fate that I was taught that fact in school only maybe a year previously, also the driver was in the same class as me and so he immediately recognised what I was doing which was funny. The other guys must have thought I’d accepted my fate and wanted to go out on a high.

#30 If You Are Being Attacked By Almost Any Predator The First Thing You Should Go For Is The Eyes

If you are being attacked by almost any predator the first thing you should go for is the eyes. Predators are smart animals and only hunt what won’t maim them. If you go for the eyes of a predator it will mostly likely back off and reevaluate trying to eat you.

Only time a predictor will risk a vital organ to hunt ( aka eyes ) is when it is starving. Else it will back off knowing that if you do take out its eyes it will not be able to hunt anymore therefore starve.
Source: boredpanda.com