We can all hope that we never find ourselves in a potentially life-threatening situation.
However, in the event that you do find yourself in a dangerous situation, the best thing you can do is be prepared. Read on to learn more.
A Series Of Viral TikTok Videos Are Offering Life-Saving Tips
TikTok user @livvontheedge is breaking down the best advice and tips to follow if you find yourself in an emergency situation.
We went ahead and fact-checked the advice in her series and put it all in one place for you, so you can see if your survival skills measure up.
What To Do If Someone Is Following Your Car
Start by making four right turns in a row around a block or subdivision—if the vehicle is still tailing you, remain calm and follow these steps from SafeWise.
Stay Calm, Slow Down, Assess The Situation
Do not drive home. Instead, start slowly driving toward a public place or shopping center. A change in speed could alert the person that you know they are there.
Call the police while driving and stay on the phone with the operator, telling them where you are and where you are going. If you are able, drive directly to the nearest police station.
Get To The Nearest Public Place And Wait For Help
The same goes for if you are being followed while walking: Always head directly to the nearest busy shop or store while you call for help.
Never walk home or to someone's house that could be used to track you down in the future.
How To Survive A Nuclear Explosion
If a nuclear explosion occurs near you, Ready.Gov suggests that you hide behind anything that might offer you protection from the blast's shockwave.
Lie facedown to protect any exposed skin and wait for the blast to pass. It will take about 10 minutes for the radioactive fallout to hit ground level, giving you between 10-12 minutes to find shelter.
Surviving Nuclear Fallout
Immediately enter the nearest building or closed structure—concrete or brick buildings will offer the most protection from radiation.
Remove any contaminated clothing and rinse your skin if possible. Avoid any contact with your eyes, nose, or mouth areas, and wear a mask if possible.
Prepare Ahead Of Time To Find Your Shelter Location
Lastly, do not leave the safety of the building for at least 24 hours unless local authorities tell you otherwise.
The best way to avoid nuclear fallout is to be prepared by knowing where your nearest shelter location is and having an emergency plan in place.
How To Survive An Avalanche
According to the GetPrepared Canadian government website, taking an avalanche safety course is the first step if you're traveling in an area that is prone to them.
If you find yourself in an avalanche, don’t try to outrun the slide. Instead, run parallel to the sliding snow and grab onto the nearest tree or structure, then hold on for dear life.
What To Do If You're Being Dragged By The Avalanche
If you find yourself being dragged by the snow, keep your mouth closed and your teeth clenched.
When the slide slows attempt to push yourself towards the surface. If you are able, make an air pocket in front of your face using one arm in case you end up under the snow.
What To Do When The Avalanche Stops
When the slide finally stops, push one arm towards the surface while keeping the air pocket against your face.
At this point, you should relax your breathing. Stay calm and conserve your energy, you will be able to hear when a search team approaches. When you hear rescuers, start to scream.
How To Survive An Encounter With A Mountain Lion
Backcountryaltitude.com explains that mountain lions are elusive animals and an experience with them is rare.
On the off chance that you do encounter a mountain lion, do not run away because it could encourage an attack.
Surviving A Close Encounter
The safest thing to do is face the lion, do not break eye contact, and slowly back away.
Make yourself look bigger using clothing or other objects. Shout loudly and wave your arms around to try to startle the lion away.
Surviving A Mountain Lion Attack
Should you find yourself in the middle of an actual attack, the first step is to protect your neck.
Contrary to popular belief, playing dead is also not a safe option. Instead, you need to fight back using your hands and feet as weapons. It's never a bad idea to carry bear spray when you're hiking in mountain lion territory.
What To Do If Your Car Becomes Stranded In A Remote Area
Driverknowledgetests.com explains what to do if your vehicle stops working when driving in a remote area.
Fight the urge to leave the vehicle and look for help. It's much easier for a rescuer or helicopter to find your vehicle than it is to find a person.
Draw Attention To Your Vehicle
Depending on weather conditions, you may need to conserve your energy and water while you wait for someone to find you.
You could spell out HELP in stones and create some kind of blockade to alert the next driver who passes. If all else fails, burn the vehicle's spare tire to create a plume of black smoke.
Preparedness Saves Lives In Breakdown Situations
The best way to avoid a dangerous situation when your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere is to be prepared ahead of time.
Keep an emergency roadside kit in your car, maps of your route, and tell people the route you will be traveling ahead of time.
How To Escape From A Car Trunk
Whether it's a prank gone wrong or a much more serious situation like an abduction, being trapped in the trunk of a vehicle can be terrifying.
Most newer vehicles have safe releases in place that glow in the dark. Keep calm and start hunting for the handle, switch, or cord by feel.
Search For A Release Cable That Runs To The Driver's Seat
However, there are still thousands of vehicles on the road that do not have basic safety releases in the trunk.
In this situation, feel for the trunk release cable that runs from the driver's side under the carpeting of the trunk and pull it hard toward the front of the vehicle.
Get The Attention Of Other Drivers However You Can
If you can't find the trunk release cable but you can find the latch, WikiHow suggests using any object you can find within the trunk to attempt to pry it open.
Call the police if you are able and tell them your last known location and a basic description of the vehicle. Kick through the back seat or tail lights if you can and draw attention from other drivers.
How To Survive An Elevator Free Fall
LiveScience explains what to do if you find yourself in an elevator that is plummeting down the shaft.
It's extremely unlikely to find yourself in this situation but there is at least one way to minimize the damage.
Lie Flat On The Floor And Protect Your Head And Face
You will only have a few seconds of time to react while the elevator falls to the ground level.
The safest option is to pull yourself down to the floor of the elevator and lie flat on your back, shielding your head and face from any potential debris.
Disperse The Impact And Hope For The Best
Lying flat on your back should help disperse the impact across your body instead of absorbing it through your legs.
Either way, this is a terrible situation to be in and the only goal is survival. Thankfully, most modern elevators have safety features in place to avoid such a disaster.