In the United States, the primary safety precaution for hitchhiking is: don't. If you must hitchhike, the first precaution is to be careful about who you accept a ride from. Don't jump in the first car that stops for you. Instead, speak with the driver through the open window or door about where you're going and where they're going. As you do this, assess the situation carefully, but without being obvious about it.. Consider the condition of the car, the appearance and manner of the driver, and whether there are other passengers. If you have any hesitations or uneasy feelings, decline the ride politely and thank the driver for stopping. Once you've accepted a ride, stay alert (at least at first) and be prepared to abandon the ride if anything seems amiss. Even though the driver may have seemed acceptable at first, trust any feelings of uneasiness or danger that you may develop. If the driver starts going anywhere but the agreed destination (particularly to a rural or unpopulated area), consider getting out of the car as fast as possible, possibly even while it's in motion, preferably where there are other people. As with any trip, let someone know where you are going, what route you plan to take, and when you expect to arrive. Make arrangements to check in with this person regularly, and give them instructions about what to do if you don't check in by a certain time. "Historical" note: I grew up in the 60's and 70's in Southern California, where hitchhiking was particularly common. As a teenage girl, I often hitchhiked around the Santa Barbara area. On our fairly regular trips out of town, my mother would always stop and pick up one or more riders. They were usually young men, students, since Santa Barbara is a University town. (Even then I think she would have been cautious about picking up an older man, though.) We never had any problem and generally had a good time talking with our guest passengers, but those days are long gone now. I seldom see hitckhikers any more. The few I do see are men, and they don't look like students. It's been 10 years since the last time I picked someone up (and that was the first time in ages). I saw a woman hitchhiking alone halfway between two towns and stopped. I found out later that she was a local figure that most people knew about, and harmless. But at the time all I knew was that she was frighteningly weird and smelled very bad. I let her off at the next gas station, even though I'd agreed to take her further. I can't imagine anyone hitchhiking now if they have any option at all.

JUST DON'T DO IT!!!! we lives in the 2000's...not safe!