Despite the winter weather, many of us still travel by foot during the colder months. This week’s safety message covers tips you can use to ensure you’re being safe when walking in the snow:

• Use High-tread Boots
  • Ice and snow covered sidewalks and streets and can make walking treacherous. Even if you are only walking from your car to the door, you could take a fall and be seriously hurt.

• Wear Bright Colors
  • Winter means that the days are shorter and the evenings are darker than they were in the summer. Pick a winter coat with bright colors and reflective panels to help drivers see you and keep you safe in crosswalks and driveways.

• Face Traffic
  • Any time you are walking close to cars, including on an attached sidewalk, make sure you walk on the left side of the road. That way you will be facing the cars traveling closest to you and will better be able to react if a driver loses control on the ice and snow.

• Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open
  • As pedestrians fight the cold, they often wrap their heads in warm and wooly hats, hoods, earmuffs, and scarves. But these head coverings can interfere with pedestrians’ ability to see and hear traffic around them. Make sure your peripheral vision is clear and you are alert to vehicles nearby.

• Phones
  • Don’t use your phone when you’re walking. When you use a phone while walking, it could result in not paying attention to traffic or other people who are walking nearby.

• Planning
  • Instead of waiting until later in the day to go for a walk, try to plan ahead so that you complete your errands in the middle of the day.

• Travel Light
  • One way to monitor your balance to decrease your risk of falling is to lighten your load. Avoid carrying a lot of heavy bags.