Posted On January 7, 2016 Accident Tips & Prevention,Current Events and News

Walking on Ice? Take the Path More Traveled

Poet Robert Frost may have famously taken the road less traveled, but he probably didn’t do it during an ice storm. A snowy day is not the time to pioneer your own route – and trying could increase your risk of suffering a slip and fall on ice. In slippery weather conditions, the route you walk could make a big difference in your safety.

• Stick to well-traveled (and hopefully treated) walkways. Even if walkways haven’t been treated, the foot traffic of pedestrians who have walked the same path before you can help melt and crush the ice. You can watch pedestrians ahead of you to see if they move to avoid a hazard that you might not have seen otherwise. If you do fall, at least you don’t have to worry about being stranded alone and injured, away from passersby who could help.
• Avoid shortcuts, even if they are part of your usual routine, that could present slippery conditions. You may know the route well, but that doesn’t mean it won’t surprise you with unexpected patches of ice. If not many people use your preferred route, it’s less likely that the property owner would have treated it to prevent snow and ice buildup.
• When possible, cut through buildings. The best way to not slip on ice is to avoid having to walk on it at all, so walking inside is a better choice than walking outside in the cold. Just make sure you wipe your feet carefully when you come in and watch out for wet spots on the floors, particularly near entrances and exits.