How to stay safe when taking selfies
- More than 250 people died taking selfies between 2011 and 2017 and the US National Park Service has published a guide to safe selfies
- You can avoid a selfie inflicted death by being sensible and following these simple guidelines
Are you taking safe selfies? It might be time to examine your photo clicking habits and put caution first.
Time and again, the smallest misstep, distraction or lapse in judgment has resulted in injury or death. To help raise awareness, the National Park Service has published a guide to safe photos, and Yellowstone National Park has created a pledge that people can take to protect themselves and the park.
One way to practise that pledge, park officials state, is to take safe selfies. “No picture is worth hurting yourself, others, or the park. Be aware of your surroundings whether near wildlife, thermal areas, roads, or steep cliffs,” the website says.
Kathy Kupper, a spokeswoman for the Park Service, says that when people are on holiday, they may not be looking for hazards in the same way they do in their everyday lives. “We always strive to remind visitors that national parks are wild and natural places, and they are amazing, but people really need to prepare adequately and understand the hazards,” she says.