If there’s one thing you should never take for granted, it’s your personal safety – especially when it comes to dating. We don’t want to alarm you. After all, dating is supposed to be fun; but it should also be safe. How can you make sure you’re safe when you’re on a date? Just use common sense and don’t give out more information than you need to.

Online dating is an entirely different animal than going on a date with someone a friend or colleague introduces you to. There’s a sort of built in sense of safety there, since someone you know and trust knows this person. When you meet someone online, it’s sort of like meeting someone at a bar. You don’t know anything about them. They may be intelligent, attractive and interesting, but you still need to be careful, no matter where you meet them. The following tips can help you to stay safe and enjoy your dating life:

Common Sense

It’s exciting to meet someone new and this excitement can lead us to act in ways that we might not otherwise. The thrill of a potential new love interest makes you want to dive right in, but if you don’t use your head, you could be courting disaster.

Don’t Give Out Too Much

We all have personal information that we don’t want everyone to know. Don’t give out this information on a first date or when you’re meeting someone online. There is a degree of safety built into online dating, at least as long as you don’t divulge too much. After all, you’re on your computer in the safety of your own home.

Until you’re ready to meet someone in person, keep it online. You don’t have to give out your phone number, email address, social media accounts or any other personal information at this point – and by not doing so, you’re helping to keep yourself safe.

Only Meet in Public

The ideal situation would be that you meet someone online that you like so much that you want to drop your online dating accounts and just jump into a relationship. Of course, there’s a good chance that they’re not the right match – but until you meet face to face, you won’t know that.

When you’re ready to meet for a real life first date, meet your date in a public place where there will be other people around. You should also refrain from drinking on a first date or for that matter, until you know your date better. Drinking can cloud your judgment, leading you to tell them too much personal information and put you in danger by slowing your reaction time.

Tell a Friend Where You’re Going

When you’re going on a first (or second, or third) date, tell a friend where you’re going to be. Hopefully, this won’t be necessary, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Let your friend know about when you’ll be home and give them a call to tell them that you’ve gotten home safe.

You’ve probably heard all of this before and no doubt you already know these common sense rules, but they bear repeating. Keep them in mind, be safe and have fun dating!