How to walk the streets on ice and stay alive

How to dress properly?

Shoes

The main taboo is high-heeled or platform shoes. The heel should be no higher than 3-4 centimeters. You can also try conquering the ice-covered sidewalks with comfortable wedge shoes.

Shoes with absolutely flat soles are contraindicated, especially if they harden in the cold. It is best to put on boots or boots with a wide toe, thick corrugated sole with a mixed tread (when a large pattern is combined with a small one) in the ice.

clothing

Clothing should not hinder movement and obstruct your view. It is best if the jacket is without a huge hood or high collar. It is less painful to fall in a soft down jacket than in a thin jacket.

Do not bring heavy bags with long handles - they can cause you to lose your balance. If you are carrying multiple bags, try to distribute the weight evenly between your two hands. The most convenient option on ice is a shoulder bag, like a postman.

How to walk so as not to fall?

Imagine yourself as a penguin. Bend your legs slightly, do not strain your knees, mince, stepping on the entire sole. It looks, perhaps, funny, but effective.
Don't walk fast, don't put your legs high. The smaller the step, the better. In the most dangerous places, you can slowly slide.
Never put your hands in your pockets on ice. Falling in this case threatens with serious injuries. Spread your arms slightly to the sides and balance.
Slipped - sit down. If you fall, then from a lower height. Throw away everything in your hands: bags or a bag. Wave your arms, the harder the better. It helps you stay on your feet.

How to behave on the street to avoid falling?

Avoid talking on the phone while on the go, or use a headset.
Concentrate all your attention on the slippery road. Try to follow in the footsteps of others or along the edge of the sidewalk - usually there is less rolling. Remember: there can be ice under the snow too, so be extremely careful.
Show solidarity: If you see someone falling next to you, help him keep his balance.
Remember that the most dangerous in the ice are stairs (it is recommended to put both feet on each step, and not walk as usual), roadsides, iron manhole covers, as well as places with a decent slope. Try to avoid these places.
Do a little warm-up before leaving the house to improve coordination. Sit down 20 times, rise on tiptoe 10-15 times.
Never cross the road in front of a flying car on ice, even on a pedestrian crossing. Better to wait for the car to pass or stop. The driver may be distracted, and you may slip and fall right on the road. And the braking distance in ice is much longer.

How to fall without breaking anything?

If you start to fall, tense your muscles and try to group.

If you fall backward, spread your arms out to the sides to avoid landing on your elbows. Arch your back in an arc, pull your chin to your chest - this will save the back of your head from impact. If possible, try to shift your body weight to the side - falling back is considered the most traumatic.

If you fall forward, bend at the elbows and strain your arms to absorb the impact. Push off slightly as you fall with your feet forward to slide further.

If you fall on your side, do not spread your arms out to the sides, press them to your body. Arch your back in an arc, squeeze into a ball, pull your legs to your chest.

If you fall on a ladder, cover your head and face with your hands. Do not try to slow down the fall, or you will get more fractures.

What parts of your body should you not fall on?

On the buttocks. Threatens with injury to the coccyx or a fracture of the femoral neck.
On the palm of an outstretched hand. It is fraught with complex fractures.
On knees. Get a knee cap injury.
On the elbows. Leads to fractures of the clavicle.

What if you still fell?

Go to the emergency room. Not all injuries occur immediately, so it's best to play it safe.

Apply cold to the bruised area for 20 minutes, with breaks every five minutes. A day later, if the swelling has subsided, you can apply warming ointments to the bruises.

How to make your shoes less slippery?

Go to a shoe shop for a non-slip rubber pad on the sole.
Stick a few pieces of plaster on the sole yourself. This will make the shoe less slippery for a few hours.
The patch can be replaced with more resistant felt or pieces of sandpaper.
Rub the sole of your old shoe with sandpaper or a trowel.
Small screws can be screwed into the thick grooved sole.
Buy ice shoes from a sports store - special anti-slip pads for shoes.
If you have no place to glue, rub or buy protection, find the largest cotton socks and slide them over your boots or boots. Or take a pointed ski pole with you.