Ciao everyone! One of the biggest questions we get here at Rome Abroad is:

“Will I be safe?”

There are two essential things we recommend to our Travelers when they ask this question. As with most things, there’s a physical and a mental aspect to safety and the key is to have both. When you’re traveling, there are two things you shouldn’t leave behind:

1. Common Sense.

Our general answer to the question of safety is “You will be as safe as you are smart.” This is the mental aspect of being safe while traveling. A little common sense goes a long way. That’s why we dedicate a whole section of our training to safety preparation for avoiding potential danger like scams, theft, and pickpockets.

2. The D.A.D.® 2

This is the physical aspect of being safe while traveling. The Defense Alert Device (or D.A.D. 2) is more than just a pepper spray. Not only does it have a 96% stop rate with its non-lethal defense technology, the D.A.D.® 2 also includes a Bluetooth chip which alerts predetermined contacts of the user’s exact location and time of use.

The D.A.D.® 2 also sends an alert to anyone with the D.A.D.® mobile phone app (who indicate their willingness to help) and who are close to your location. You can also send an alert without using the spray.

Travelers accepted to the Rome Abroad program can use our code to get $30 off plus free shipping (a $10 value) for their own D.A.D.® 2.

So why don’t we recommend traveling with just regular pepper spray?

Standard pepper sprays have been shown to contain as low as 1/100th of the potency claimed on their label (according to a study conducted at the University of Utah). The D.A.D.® 2 is $129.99 — a small price to pay for peace of mind that can last a lifetime. (They also offer a future pay option.)

We actually heard about the D.A.D.® 2 from one of our Traveler.

Here’s what she said about the Defense Alert Device (D.A.D.):

“My name is Kortney Blatter, I’m 17 years old, and I am currently living in Italy. Before I left my home in Utah, USA, my parents felt like I should have some sort of self defense device so I bought a D.A.D. To be honest, I didn’t really think I would need it, but I was wrong.

A couple weeks ago, my friend and I were walking through Naples at night* to get to our hotel, and we were attacked by a man on the streets. He came running towards us at full speed and grabbed my friend [to try to take her phone].

Luckily I had decided to wear my D.A.D. that night so I already had it in my hand. I swung at the guy and sprayed him directly in the face, which caused him to let go of my friend so we could run away. Because of the Bluetooth technology, my mom, who was nearly 6,000 miles away, was immediately notified of my location and knew that I was in danger, and within minutes I had 26 missed calls from other people** who had also been notified. My friend and I both got away unharmed, (besides a little excess pepper spray in our eyes from when I sprayed it), and none of our stuff was stolen. I’m confident that there would have been much more damage than my friends’ cracked phone screen, if I didn’t have my D.A.D. with me.

I’m SO grateful for this incredible technology! It has given me peace of mind and more confidence going into scary situations. EVERYONE should have a D.A.D.!”

Thanks TigerLight, for giving our Travelers a great option to feel even more safe and prepared.

Want to see more reviews about the D.A.D.® 2? Watch more testimonials on the Tigerlight website.

*Note: Walking through Naples at night is not allowed in the program. The Traveler described in this testimonial also was holding her phone out which does not follow our safety guidelines in our training materials. Any Travelers past or future, have been and are advised not to walk in Naples at night and need to order a cab home after dark in that city.

**Additional notes: Within minutes of the incident, Rome Abroad and the Traveler’s host mom were ready to call the police in Naples.