Safety needs and concerns change throughout the seasons and winter safety is no different. With winter comes bitterly cold temperatures, snow and ice hazards, as well as hypothermia and other winter hazards.

Keeping yourself and your family safe should always be a top priority. Below are some winter safety tips to keep in mind this January.

Driving safety:

One of the primary safety concerns in the winter is driving safety. Due to snow and ice depending on where you live, the chances of getting into a car accident are increased because of patches of black ice or winter weather white outs. When driving, you should try to avoid using cruise control, be careful when you accelerate or decelerate and ensure you do so slowly, as well as increase your following distance to 8-10 seconds.

If visibility is severely limited, pull over and don’t drive until conditions improve if possible.

 

Prepare your vehicle:

 

Is your car ready for winter travel? Some of the tips below may be helpful.

• Make sure your tires are safe and swap out your summer tires for snow tires if necessary.

• Keep your gas tank full to ensure that ice can’t get into your fuel lines or gas tank.

• Use a winter-specific windshield washer fluid so that if you need to clean your windows, the fluid doesn’t freeze.

• Make an emergency kit for your car. Some things to keep in your emergency car kit are: extra blankets, flares, flashlights, batteries, water, snacks, cellphone or other device chargers, etc.

 

Home safety:

 

It’s important to winterize your home for when the temperatures begin to dip. Some of the ways you can winter-proof your home are as follows:

 

• Remove ice and snow from walkways and driveways to prevent falls or slips and trips. If you have pets, make sure you purchase a pet-safe deicer for your walkways and do not leave anti-freeze products within reach of your pets or children as it could seriously harm or kill them. Also, do not keep pets outside for extended periods of time during the winter, even if they have a dog house or other "shelter," as cold weather can and will kill your pets if they are left outside when temps are below freezing.

 

•  Check your heating systems to ensure they are in good working order. This is important for keeping your home warm, as well as preventing any possible electrical or fire hazards due to poorly maintained equipment or systems.

 

• Check both your fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they have fresh batteries and work as they should. Carbon monoxide in the winter time is a hazard and all that can be done to prevent it from leeching into your home should be done to prevent serious harm or death as a result.

 

•  Make sure your emergency kit and food and water supplies are adequate for emergencies such as power outages or snow storms. Have at least 3 days’ worth of supplies in your home’s emergency kit, including medications and medical records.

 

• Clean out chimneys and fireplaces.

To learn more about how you can keep yourself safe this winter, click here for more tips!