The wind is blowing, it’s cold and it’s snowing. This means that ice dangers will be present in New Jersey parking lots and sidewalks. Ice causes numerous injuries every year when New Jersey residents fall on slippery patches found throughout the state. As such, you and your family need to be careful in order to prevent a slip-and-fall injury. Here are a few tips for preventing the catastrophic injuries that can result from such accidents:

Do the penguin walk: Penguins walk the way they do for a reason. They’re always on slippery ice, and they don’t want to fall and get hurt. The more you look like a penguin when you walk with slow, deliberate, flat-footed and small steps, the better you will be at keeping your balance. Watch where you walk and keep your gravity forward slightly.

Wear the right shoes: Putting on the correct shoes will go a long way to prevent a slip-and-fall. In icy and wintery conditions, wear waffled, flat, rubber-soled shoes. Don’t wear leather shoes or heels.

Be careful on steps and curbs: Whenever you step down from a curb or stair step, you’re putting a lot of weight on the descending foot. This weight transfer can cause you to slip if you’re putting your foot down on ice. Be slow and cautious when stepping down.

Use your hands the right way: Your hands should be free of encumbrances so that you can grab a handrail or break your fall if you should slip. This means that you should only carry the necessities and don’t use a cell phone while navigating slippery surfaces. Also, if there are handrails on the stairs, use them.

Following this advice will certainly help to keep you safe this winter. If, in spite of your best efforts, you still slip on ice and hurt yourself, you might want to investigate who may be liable for this patch of ice. In some cases, a city, business owner or another party could be financially liable for your injuries.