How to dress properly?
Shoes
The main taboo is high—heeled or platform shoes. The heel should not be higher than 3-4 centimeters. You can also try to conquer the ice-covered sidewalks in shoes on a comfortable wedge.
Shoes with absolutely flat soles are contraindicated, especially if they harden in the cold. It is best to wear boots or boots with a wide nose, a thick corrugated sole with a mixed tread in the ice (when a large pattern is combined with a small one).
Clothing
Clothing should not restrict movement and obstruct the view. It is best if the jacket is without a huge hood or a high collar. It is less painful to fall in a soft down jacket than in a thin jacket.
Do not take heavy bags with long handles with you — because of them you can lose your balance. If you are carrying several packages, try to distribute the weight evenly between your two hands. The most convenient option in icy conditions is a shoulder bag, like a postman's.
How to walk so as not to fall?
- Imagine yourself as a penguin. Slightly bend your legs, do not strain your knees, mince, stepping on the entire sole. It may look funny, but it is effective.
- Don't walk fast, don't lift your legs high. The smaller the step, the better. In the most dangerous places, you can slowly slide.
- Never keep your hands in your pockets in the ice. A fall in this case threatens serious injuries. Slightly spread your arms to the sides and balance.
- If you slip, sit down. If you fall, it will be from a lower height. Discard everything you have in your hands: bags or a bag. Wave your arms, the harder the better. It helps to stay on your feet.
How to behave on the street to avoid falling?
- Give up talking on the phone 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 it is less rolled out there. Remember: there may also be ice under the snow, so be extremely careful.
- Show solidarity: if you see someone falling next to you, help them keep their balance.
- Remember that stairs are the most dangerous in icy conditions (it is recommended to put both feet on each step, rather than walking 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, stand on tiptoe 10-15 times.
- Never cross the icy road in front of a flying car, even on a pedestrian crossing. It is better to wait until the car passes or stops. The driver can get distracted, and you can slip and fall right on the road. And the braking distance in the ice is much longer.
How to fall so as not to break anything?
If you start to fall, tighten your muscles and try to group up.
If you fall backwards, spread your arms out to the sides so as not to land on your elbows. Arch your back, pull your chin to your chest — this will save the back of your head from being hit. If possible, try to shift your body weight sideways — falling backwards is considered the most traumatic.
If you fall forward, bend your elbows and strain your arms to absorb the impact. Push off a little when falling with your feet forward to slip further.
If you fall on your side, do not spread your arms apart, press them against your body. Arch your back, squeeze into a ball, pull your legs to your chest.
If you fall on the stairs, cover your head and face with your hands. Do not try to slow down the fall, otherwise you will get more fractures.
Which parts of the body are not allowed to fall on?
- On the buttocks. Threatens with injuries to the coccyx or a fracture of the femoral neck.
- On the palm of an outstretched hand. Fraught with complex fractures.
- On your knees. Get a kneecap injury.
- On your elbows. Leads to fractures of the collarbone.
What to do if you still fell?
Contact the emergency room. Not all injuries manifest themselves immediately, so it's better to be safe.
Apply cold to the injury site for 20 minutes, with breaks every five minutes. A day later, if the swelling has subsided, you can apply warming ointments to bruises .
How to make shoes less slippery?
- Contact a shoe workshop, where a non-slip rubber gasket will be glued to the sole.
- Stick a few pieces of plaster on the sole yourself. This will make the shoes less slippery for a few hours.
- The patch can be replaced with more resistant felt or pieces of sandpaper.
- Rub the sole of an old shoe with sandpaper or a grater.
- Small screws can be screwed into the thick corrugated sole.
- Buy ice shoes in a sports store — special anti-slip pads on shoes.
- If there is no time to glue, rub or buy protection and there is nowhere, find the largest cotton socks and pull them on boots or boots. Or bring a ski pole with a pointed end.