5 ways to prevent injury outside the home

by Marijke Durning, RN on June 20th, 2008

Yesterday, I posted 10 ways to prevent injuries in your home and today it’s how to prevent injuries, or minimize them at least, outside of the home.

Wear your seatbelt - even for short trips. If you find it uncomfortable, there are mechanisms you can use to adjust them. If you wear tank tops, etc, and don’t like the feel of the strap against your skin, there are covers you can put over the strap, made of fabrics like sheepskin.
Wear proper footwear for the activity. If you’re running, make sure your shoes are meant for running. If you’re walking long distances, make sure your shoes are for walking and they fit well, etc.
Watch your step, particularly on unfamiliar stairs. Some steps aren’t uniform as to how deep or high they are and can cause missteps. As well, watch for water, trash, etc, that can send you flying if you’re running up or down the stairs.
Keep your eyes open when walking through a parking lot. Unfortunately, some drivers are not as careful as they should be while in a parking lot and can back up or turn into you without realizing it. Always watch to see if the cars you are coming up to have a driver in them and if you expect them to back up, you will be on the defensive and able to avoid them.
When cycling, be very careful going along parked cars. If a driver doesn’t look behind and swings the door open, you can go flying right over the door. Always look to see in the cars ahead if there appears to be someone in the car and expect the worst to happen - that way you will be prepared.

Do you have any ideas to add to the list? If you leave them in the comment section, I’ll gather them together for a new post.

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