The rainy season is coming up, and it won’t be long before the roads and the pavements are slick as an ice skating rink. Just one misplaced step and you could seriously injure yourself, so to prevent that from occurring, here are some tips for staying on your feet in wet weather.
4 Tips for Staying on Your Feet
Use Handrails
Handrails aren’t everywhere, but when you see them, use them. Handrails do just what you think, they help keep you steady when you walk, so if you start to slip, you can readjust yourself more easily. These are especially useful on stairs, where a slip can be not only dangerous but deadly. If there are no handrails, then see if there are other things you can hold on to, from benches to another person (someone you know, of course).
Wipe Your Feet
Next, it’s always important to wipe your feet on the doormat when you enter a building, especially if the floor is made of a hard surface. Drying the water off your feet will greatly reduce the chances of you taking a fall. Not only that, but it will also make the floor safer for people who would otherwise be walking through the puddles you left behind.
Wear Slip Resistant Shoes
This step is especially important. You may not know what kind of surfaces you’ll be walking on, but you can decide what shoes you’ll wear when you do, so when it’s wet and slippery, wear shoes that are slip-resistant. Slip-resistant shoes have more traction with the ground, keeping your feet steady and helping you walk with confidence.
Stay on Pedestrian Paths
When the weather is wet, it’s best to stay in the designated pedestrian pathways and use crosswalks to cross the street. Pedestrian pathways are usually easier to walk on when it’s wet, and they’re better lit too, allowing you to better see where you’re going. Using crosswalks is safer as well because if you’re worried about making it across before any cars come, you won’t be worrying as much about where you’re putting your feet.
Slips and trips account for around fifty percent of all reported injuries, and it’s a danger that everybody faces. And this danger only increases when it’s wet, so follow these instructions, pay attention to where you’re going, and stay safe.
Contact Mid Atlantic Orthopedic Associates
If you do suffer from a fall, don’t hesitate to contact us. Early detection of and care for fractures is important to heal quickly and correctly.
