Allstate Offers Summer Travel Safety Tips as Vacation Plans Heat Up

NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As the economy continues to rebound, Americans are preparing for summer vacation trips around the country. According to PhoCusWright's U.S. Consumer Travel Report, six in ten U.S. adults traveled for leisure in 2012, the same number as in 2011. However, vacationing away from home can present safety risks as well as pleasures (see attached infographic with detailed theft statistics from Allstate).

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"You can help make family trips more enjoyable by taking a few simple steps to reduce the possibility you will become an easy target for thieves who prey on tourists, or that your home will be robbed in your absence," says Allstate Claims Director of Property Innovation Bryan Corder. "Following some simple precautions can make your family vacation a memorable one for all the right reasons."

To help you enjoy a safe family vacation, the following are some tips from Allstate Insurance Company:

Make sure your home is protected while you're away:

• Stop mail and newspapers, or ask a neighbor to pick them up every day.
• Put several household lights on timers so they turn on and off at appropriate times.
• Arrange to have grass mowed while you're gone.
• Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway overnight - anything that might suggest someone is home.

Make sure you don't pack unnecessary items and that your valuables are protected:

• Clean out your wallet or purse before you go; take only essential credit cards.
• Carry your purse close to your body, or wallet in an inside front pocket.
• Pack as lightly as possible. Lots of heavy, cumbersome bags will slow you down and make you more vulnerable to getting robbed.
• Keep a separate record of the contents of checked luggage. Keep anything of value such as medicine and jewelry in a carry-on that stays with you.

In unfamiliar locations, you and your family should try to blend in with the crowd and not look too much like tourists:

• Don't display expensive jewelry, cameras, bags, and other items that might draw attention.
• Check maps before you go out so you can tour confidently.
• Stick to well-lit, well-traveled streets at all times.
• Leave an itinerary of your trip with someone at home in case you need to be contacted. Carry an extra passport photo with you just in case you need to replace a stolen passport.
• Don't use your home address on your luggage tags. You don't need to let anyone know where your empty house is located. Consider using your business card instead.

For more information on this and other safety topics, you can reach out to a local Allstate agent or visit www.allstate.com.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, serving approximately 16 million households through its Allstate, Encompass, Esurance and Answer Financial brand names and Allstate Financial business segment. Allstate branded insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services are offered through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives, as well as via www.allstate.com, www.allstate.com/financial and 1-800 Allstate^®, and are widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate^®." As part of Allstate's commitment to strengthen local communities, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate employees, agency owners and the corporation provided $29 million in 2012 to thousands of nonprofit organizations and important causes across the United States.

SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company