Late one night, you find yourself out of cash. What luck, there is an ATM just across the street.

As you walk up, you feel the sensation of cold steel against the back of your neck and hear a gruff voice saying, "Put your card in the machine or I'll kill you."

Although police statistics indicate automatic teller machine robberies are rare at the University of Arizona, the Feb. 6 shooting outside the campus-area Bank One ATM, 947 N. Park Ave., draws new light to a subject not often discussed on campus.

The assault, which followed a robbery, put Tucson resident Franklin B. Over, 26, in the hospital in critical condition.

So what can students do to prevent becoming victims?

University police Sgt. Brian Seastone advises ATM users to be aware of their surroundings while approaching an ATM, and "if something doesn't seem right, don't use it."

"When you use the ATM, hide your number and don't just jump out of the car and leave it running," Seastone says.

Tucson police Sgt. Eugene Mejia says his department's policy tells people to use ATMs during the day.

"If you have to use an ATM at night, we ask people to avoid machines without nearby foot traffic and lighting," Mejia says. "Use one inside a large grocery store, Circle K, or a place with a lot of support activity."

Mejia also advises that students bring friends.

"A suspect will not normally confront an individual with others around," he says. "There are safety in numbers."

However, despite nearby foot traffic at the Bank One, Mejia admits there are problems with the locale.

"Even at the one at First and Park, there are a lot of areas where someone can hide and then confront the user."

If you are approached at an ATM, "do exactly what the person says," Seastone says. "That money can be replaced. Your car can be replaced. You can't be replaced."

The banking industry is also making efforts to increase safety and make customers aware of the dangers involved with ATM banking.

The Bank Administration Institute's task force on ATM crime recently concluded that the most dangerous hours to use an ATM are between 7 p.m. and 12 a.m. The study stated that 49 percent of all ATM-related crimes occur between those hours.

Officials at both Bank One and Bank of America say much of their efforts go towards customer education.

"We regularly issue safety tip recommendations in statements," says Mary Jane Thomas, spokesperson for the Bank One Corporation.

Adds Dave Howell, of Bank of America, "The biggest thing we do is try to educate our customers."

"Some locations are inherently safer than others," he adds. "There is a limit to the security that can be provided to a branch during off-hours."

Thomas also says that personal safety is of the utmost importance.

"Your safety is more important than your money. There are extremely effective surveillance cameras and computerized documentation which will support the remedy of any inconvenience," she says.

How safe are you? The Nashville Police Department has compiled an on-line questionnaire that lets people rate their own risks for violent crime. Use the world-wide-web to access "http://www.Nashville.Net/~police/risk."