Probably not, in the way that life at home can never be 100% safe, says Sue Ockwell, speaking on behalf of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO, www.aito.com). There are some sensible precautions that you can take when going on holiday, however – read on…

- Don’t leave your brain at the airport! Lot of us get “holiday happy” and forget the normal basic rules of survival and protection. You wouldn’t swim or dive into a pool after drinking at home, for example – and you shouldn’t on holiday. Broken necks can be the result of diving into a pool at the shallow end by mistake.

- Walking down dark lanes wearing expensive jewellery or with a pricey camera is asking for trouble, as it would be in the UK, too.

- If you plan to try any so-called hazardous activities – scuba diving, hot air ballooning, white-water rafting, skiing, bungee jumping, jet skiing, etc. – make sure before you try the activity in question that your insurance policy covers it. It’s nearly always possible to pay a small extra fee for additional cover, and it’s well worth it. (NB jet skiing is much more dangerous that you might suppose, eg for water skiers or swimmers – witness the singer killed a couple of years ago on holiday in Mexico.) If you need hospital treatment for something serious, then it’s good to have the reassurance that your insurance company will provide an air ambulance to get you back to the UK as soon as it’s safe for you to travel – and, if the accident is your fault and you are being sued, it’s good to know that you are covered for the costs of top-notch legal assistance.

- Definitely don’t cut corners by not taking out travel insurance! The Foreign & Commonwealth Office stresses that its consular officials can’t help in a lot of situations, and says that its dearest wish is that all travellers should have full travel insurance – see www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas.

- In addition to travel insurance, arrange a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, which has replaced the old E111 system) – it entitles you to free or reduced-cost medical assistance in Europe, but doesn’t include important insurance cover such as air ambulances. www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthcareabroad/pages/Healthcareabroad.aspx.

- Check out your hotel’s fire escapes – and make sure they are not locked or blocked. If you wake in the night and smell smoke, would you know what to do? (Check the door handle carefully – if it’s hot, don’t open the door. Block the gap under the door with wet bath towels. Ring reception for help or the operator for the fire brigade.) If you spot a fire, do you know where the fire alarm is so that you can warn others? Or, if the fire alarm went off, would you know where the closest fire exit was located, or where to find a fire extinguisher? This could be life or death knowledge.

- If you’re staying in an apartment or villa, make sure the pool depths are marked clearly and that your companions/children know which is the shallow end.

- Are big picture windows marked with stickers so that, if they are shut, anyone walking towards them realises they are heading for a collision with glass? A child or adult cut to shreds by making a simple mistake like this is not something you’d like to see on holiday.

- Check that smoke detectors are fitted with batteries that work by pressing the test button.

- Play safe by taking the carbon monoxide detector you have at home (you do have one at home, don’t you?) on holiday with you.

- Make sure balconies will not permit smaller children to wriggle under/through the bars.

- Never leave children unattended. Disaster can strike in a few minutes – as much on holiday as at home.

- When booking a holiday, check with the tour operator about any potential hazards for children or the elderly/infirm. Ancient stone stairs may look wonderful but uneven steps or a lack of handrail can be the cause of accidents. Knowledgeable holiday companies will have someone in their office who’s visited the property in question who can advise you. (Visit www.aito.com for a huge range of holiday ideas and destinations from real specialists.)

- Beware the power of the sun, even in the UK. Put high-factor sun cream on before going out in the morning. You can be burnt even when sitting under a parasol if there is water, eg sea or a pool, nearby – the rays bounce on the water and zap your skin even if you are totally in the shade; I speak from personal experience in late April in Cyprus!

- If you are booking via the web, bear in mind that properties may be totally unchecked/unknown to the website operator. Conversely, UK package tour operators are required to take responsibility for the accommodation they provide. The same applies with financial protection. Some 300,000 people were affected by the collapse of XL.com last September. Many had to pay again to get home. Others lost their holiday totally – all because they had booked on the web without realising that web holiday providers are not bound by the same strict rules as traditional tour operators about protection of clients’ money. AITO members (www.aito.com) all offer 100% financial protection, no matter what you buy from them – car hire, accommodation-only or a full holiday.

- Use insect repellent and cover up in late afternoon, when mosquitoes become active. Pack anti-histamine cream, too – nasty insect bites can seriously spoil holidays for children and adults alike. Use plug-in mosquito zappers in bedrooms for overnight protection.

- If you are walking in long grass or through wooded areas, check for ticks when you get back from your walk. This applies throughout the UK, Scandinavia, most of northern Europe (including France) and North America. Ticks (which can be as minuscule as a poppy seed) can carry Lyme disease. Treatment is easy if you know you may have been bitten by a tick (NB tick bites don’t itch or hurt) – it’s a simple course of antibiotics. But, if you don’t get prompt treatment, the long-term illness that can result is serious. See www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk for more information.

Holidays are good for us – a chance to get away from day-to-day chores, to stimulate the senses with cultural visits and to enjoy relaxation and perhaps a good book – or just to spend precious time with family and friends. Following these very simple guidelines should make holidays safer, too. Happy holidays, no matter where you are going this year! Sue Ockwell.