

Safe Winter Driving
Every year we hear about a massive spike in collisions with the first significant snowfall. With this comes the associated rise in whiplash injuries due to these collisions. When it comes to driving in the winter, it is best to take advice from the experts:
- Leave enough room between cars – icy conditions may not affect your reflexes; however, they will affect the braking ability of your vehicle and the vehicles around you.
- Don’t speed – High speeds can result in more aggressive impact when the car cannot brake properly due to icy conditions.
- Raise your headrest – in the case of a collision, a properly positioned headrest can prevent your head from snapping back violently, causing whiplash.
- Consider winter tires – winter tires provide a greater level of grip when experiencing icy conditions and can be instrumental in stopping in a crucial situation.
Consider Your Form when Shovelling
It’s great to be outside and get some fresh air while clearing the snow and ice from your driveway and sidewalk. One thing to remember when shovelling is that bigger isn’t always better, especially when it comes to a giant shovel full of snow that you are trying to move! Smaller shovels and a more manageable load can help to save your back. Similar to the rules when lifting anything heavy, you must remember to lift the snow using your knees and not your back. It is also essential to take breaks and rest your body. Shovelling snow is similar to other types of exercise; you should warm up beforehand and pace yourself as you do at the gym.
Throughout the winter, it is a widespread occurrence for us to see patients coming into our clinics with injuries from shovelling. Though shovelling injuries are easily treatable for the most part, people can easily avoid injuries from this kind of activity.