Kennedy students talk about staying safe on the roads with the ice, but sometimes think less often about the sidewalks.

“Sidewalks get very slippery,” freshman Jackson Barker said. He is one of several students who sometimes walks from home to Kennedy in the winter weather. “We need more salt on our sidewalks to keep people from slipping.”

Sidewalks can be dangerous when snow covers them. Ice may be lurking under the snow and students can walk without thinking– and soon after, slip.

Even when snow does not cover the sidewalks, ice can be hard to see.

“The sidewalks on Kennedy’s grounds are salted every morning and every night,” Kennedy custodian Cortney Negrete said.

To keep yourself safe from slips, there are many options. First, wear shoes or boots with good traction. It can prevent some slipping but does not always work. Next, make sure not to go too fast. You may have somewhere to be, but it is better to be safe than sliding. 

Finally, watch where you go, and carefully, as doing so can prevent many accidents. For those students who attend events after school, by the time of dismissal, sidewalks cannot always be taken well care of by area homeowners. Not everyone may have shoveled their sidewalks, especially if it snowed at all since the morning. With the rising and falling of temperatures throughout the day, the snow can melt and freeze again, creating ice.

To help prevent any accidents, try putting some salt on sidewalks to melt any ice, and if you want, add sand for traction.