Personal Security Alarm
vs
Safety Whistle

This site is a non-profit PSA with no financial ties to security product retailers.

A personal security alarm (noisemaker or screamer) has a piercing, 120 decibel shriek that alerts witnesses to your emergency - and might spur someone to come to your rescue or at least call the police.

At the same time, most predators fear witnesses calling the police as well as identifying him and/or having to deal with a possible rescuer. Thus an attacker usually will flee.

A personal alarm will probably keep you safer or even save your life whenever you're outdoors where other people are nearby - such as on the street, in a parking lot, or in a public park.

A safety whistle (a kid's, coach's, or referee's whistle) does the same thing.

Which one is best for you?

Pros and Cons of a SAFETY WHISTLE

The upside - a whistle costs less and has no battery to replace.

The downside - a whistle stops sounding when you stop blowing (while you're maneuvering for escape). And, it has a cord for hanging it around your neck (which can be used to strangle you).

[But if you do rely on a safety whistle, do NOT use a cord (lanyard) to hang it around your neck. Instead, use a common beaded-metal chain – it breaks too easily for strangling. Or wear a whistle on a wrist bracelet.]

Pros and Cons of a PERSONAL SECURITY ALARM

The upside - an alarm continues sounding while you maneuver for escape, and frees both your hands for defense. And as you run away, an attacker will likely NOT chase after a noisy target.

The downside - an alarm costs more and has a battery that needs replacing occasionally.

All things considered, an alarm is your best choice – especially if you also have Pepper Spray as a backup safety device.

The best alarms continue shrieking until deactivated by reinserting a pin in a hole.

Always walk on the street or in parking lots prepared for action. On your keychain, keep pepper spray and an alarm quickly at-hand, ready for predators looking for easy prey.

(In your car, with your keys now in the ignition, keep another unit of spray as a back-up within easy reach in your console.)

[See Survival Options - Kidnapping for dealing with a predator with a gun.]

NOTICE

Also see the safety tips in Outdoor Safety Overview.

Pages related to Personal Security Alarm

Emergency Button
 Street Crime
 Personal Security Devices

Of course, NO security products are guaranteed to prevent any crime - but may serve you well if combined with the guidance in Home Security Overview and Outdoor Safety Overview.

NOTICE: This non-profit website is for informational purposes only and is drawn from the bibliography and USDOJ. Use the information at your own risk. See disclaimers.

Crime-Safety-Security > Security Products Overview > Personal Security Alarm

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