Winter Safety Tips: Facing Winter Head-On

When winter arrives we sometimes are not fully ready for it. We are unprepared for what winter imparts on us. Winter is a season unlike Summer, you have to take winter head-on. With some winter safety tips you should be able to face winter with ease. Make sure your car is in tip-top shape. And ready for winter. Make sure all the fluids are properly maintained,  that your battery is up-to-date, your tires are aired up as they should be. This information would be in your vehicle's manual. Windshield wipers should be new and not decaying. You should always have a full tank of gas. The last thing you want is to be stranded on the side of the road. Which brings me to my next winter tip.

If you have a cell phone, ALWAYS keep it charged. Keep a car charger in your vehicle. If you do not have a cell phone, you might want to think of getting one for emergency's only. A cell phone can come in handy when you least expect it too. With winter being unpredictable as it is, you will not be sorry having that cell phone. A winter safety tip that is very important, get into the habit of wearing a scarf and mittens. Wear a coat, I cannot tell you how many people I have seen wearing hoodies with no winter protection at all. You cannot catch a cold by not dressing warm, but you risk getting frostbite, or hypothermia if you become wet from snow or sleet.

If you live in a house keep a bucket of salt and scooper by the door to keep the ice clear of steps and sidewalks. Toss the ice melt before leaving, and you are going to be much safer. Falling or slipping on the ice can lead to a horrible accident. Your mail delivery person will love you for it. Walking on ice or slippery surfaces can be full of danger if not extremely tricky. Having the proper winter footwear like boots, or shoes with traction are best. Walk like a penguin on the ice, feet pointing outward, arms pushed away from your side, take small shuffling steps.

Take care of your skin. Men and women both get dry skin in the winter months. One way to add moisture to the air is add a humidifier to your home. Keep your skin moisturized with body lotions or oils. Do not forget your lip balm. Lips tend to dry out pretty quickly in the cold, moisturize your lips. Not keeping your skin moisturized can lead to serious drying and cracking. These three winter tips will help keep skin moisturized.

You can keep the emergency items inside your vehicle or in the  trunk of your car. If you break down and become stranded you will have a vehicle emergency kit to depend on until you are able to get to safety.

Keep extra clothing in your car. Socks, mittens, or gloves and other outerwear that will keep you warm if the weather is bad.

 A big bag of kitty litter, and a shovel if you get stuck in snow or ice you will be able to dig yourself out.

A working set of jumper cables, a flashlight/extra batteries, a blanket, hand warmers (popular at $1 stores) and deicer. Keep a can of deicer in the house so if your locks become frozen you are able to unstick them.

A small cooler with bottles of water. Energy bars, or your favorite non-perishable snack. The cooler you use for summer will do perfectly. It is a good idea to change out the snacks every so often. To maintain a freshness.

Taking care of yourself in winter doesn't have to be a chore, with the winter safety tips above, an emergency kit in your vehicle you should be ready for old man winter.