When walking alone in an unfamiliar or less populated area, which of the following is the most effective proactive personal safety measure?

The correct answer to the question "When walking alone in an unfamiliar or less populated area, which of the following is the most effective proactive personal safety measure?" is Option C: Maintaining awareness of your surroundings and avoiding distractions.

The other options — A) Listening to music with headphones at full volume, B) Keeping your phone out and visibly texting or browsing, D) Walking quickly without looking around to appear confident — are incorrect for this Life Skills & Safety question. As explained above: Maintaining awareness of your surroundings (situational awareness) and avoiding distractions like headphones or constantly looking at your phone makes you less of a target and allows you to react mor…