This deceptive winter hazard can suddenly kill you. How to stay safe.

This deceptive winter hazard can suddenly kill you. How to stay safe.

Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

Fri, December 12, 2025 at 5:04 PM UTC

3 min read

A potentially fatal winter danger is hiding in plain sight and can strike nearly any unsuspecting victim.

Across the U.S. each year, an estimated 1 million people are injured from slipping on ice and snow, leading to serious issues like broken bones and head injuries, with around 17,000 of these falls proving fatal, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2024 winter, Jolene Waldref, 49, of South Milwaukee, was leaving her job as a receptionist at a home health care agency on Jan. 15 when she slipped and fell on the ice, hitting her head on a fence on a nearby property, according to records from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office. She died of hypothermia in the freezing weather shortly thereafter.

A woman walking down Purchase Street in New Bedford, Mass. battles the cold weather with full head protection on Dec. 3, 2025.

Emilia Chu, a Milwaukee School of Engineering college freshman from Phoenix, Arizona studying industrial engineering, heads through the frigid air to class down East Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Dec. 4, 2025. Temperatures will rebound a bit by Friday, Dec. 5, with highs in the low 20s.

The sun rises over a cold Milwaukee, Wisc. skyline on Dec. 4, 2025. Temperatures will rebound a bit by Friday, Dec. 5, with highs in the low 20s.

Starbucks employees take a break from the frigid temperatures in a tent while picketing at Starbucks on Merle Hay Road on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Des Moines, Ia.

A man walks by the morning frosted window of a Long Island Rail Road train car in Port Washington, New York on Dec. 4, 2025.

Wet snow started falling around 6 am in Manchester Township, Pa. on Dec 2, 2025 with air temperatures above freezing.

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A woman walking down Purchase Street in New Bedford, Mass. battles the cold weather with full head protection on Dec. 3, 2025.

Such tragedies can happen in the South, too: Carl Mathieu, a Louisiana man, died in February 2021 after he slipped on ice and hit his head on the ground, the Louisiana Department of Health said.

With winter weather already in place across much of the nation, here are some tips for staying safe while walking on icy surfaces over the coming months.

Assume the worst

In cold temperatures, approach surfaces with caution and assume that all wet, dark areas on pavements are slippery and icy, the Injured Workers' Insurance Fund (IWIF) recommends.

"During bad weather, avoid boots or shoes with smooth soles and heels," the IWIF said in an online tip sheet. "Instead, wear shoes or boots that provide traction on snow and ice; boots made of non-slip rubber or neoprene with grooved soles are best."

In addition, although salting sidewalks can help, it's not a cure-all for melting ice, as it only works at temperatures above 15 degrees, according to the California Office of Emergency Services. Salt can also cause potential damage to concrete and plants, sometimes making alternatives like sand or calcium chloride (for concrete) better choices.

More: Video: The safest way to walk on ice

A pedestrian navigates an ice-covered sidewalk along the Chicago River as temperatures drop below zero January 27, 2014, in Chicago, Illinois.

Safety tips for walking on ice

The Injured Workers Insurance Fund recommends several safety tips:

Use special care when entering and exiting vehicles; use the vehicle for support.
Point your feet out slightly like a penguin. Spreading your feet out slightly while walking on ice increases your center of gravity.
Bend slightly and walk flat-footed with your center of gravity directly over the feet as much as possible.
Extend your arms out to your sides to maintain balance.
Keep your hands out of your pockets. Keeping your hands in your pockets while walking decreases your center of gravity and balance. You can also help break your fall with your hands free if you do start to slip.
Watch where you are stepping and … go ... slowly (very ... slowly).
Take short steps or shuffle for stability.
Wear a heavy, bulky coat that will cushion you if you fall.

What if you fall? There are a few things you can do mid-fall (if you can) that may reduce the chance of serious injury.

Try to avoid landing on your knees, wrists, or spine. Try to fall on a fleshy part of your body, such as your side.
Try to relax your muscles if you feel yourself falling. You’ll injure yourself less if you are relaxed.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Falling on ice can be deadly. What you need to know to stay safe.

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