Keeping children safe during extreme cold

AccuWeather

AccuWeather's Ali Reid was live from Burlington County, New Jersey, on Jan. 22 with tips on how to keep kids safe during extreme cold.

Transcript

00:00It's another brutally cold start this morning in the northeast making morning commutes especially

00:05challenging for families and children heading off to school. Our own Allie Reed is live this morning

00:11from Burlington County, New Jersey with crucial tips for keeping your kids safe

00:15in these frigid conditions. Allie what can you tell us?

00:22Well guys we know that it started off this morning here in New Jersey about four degrees.

00:27That was overnight into the early hours this morning. Those are single digits. Now we're

00:32sitting at about 11 degrees here in South Jersey Burlington County area of New Jersey.

00:37It's a cold one this morning there's no doubt about that and the last couple of days the

00:42conversation has revolved around not only caring for yourself right but for parents,

00:47guardians that might be sitting at home watching us right now. The other thing that I'm sure you're

00:51thinking about as maybe some of you are getting ready for school this morning too is making sure

00:56your children are protected too. A lot of them you know they tend to forget that they need to

01:00bundle up and stay warm right now but it is crucially important. Yesterday I take a look at

01:05this video this was over by a school in this general vicinity where a number of kids a good

01:11portion of kids walk to school in the morning. So when you're dealing with cold temperatures like

01:16this it is crucial that they are paying mind to the cold temperature here. Now winter mornings we

01:23know can be tough when heading out to school. Extreme cold adds another layer of danger. To

01:27protect children officials recommend dressing in warm layered clothing. Make sure they have a coat,

01:32hat, gloves, insulated boots, all of the essentials right. For those walking to school the risks are

01:37compounded by icy sidewalks and roads. Slippery surfaces can lead to falls while dark early

01:43mornings make children less visible to drivers. That's why reflective gear such as brightly

01:49colored backpacks or jackets can really make a big difference and school resource officers are

01:54also urging drivers to slow down and be extra alert in school zones. Drive like they're your

02:00kids walking to school as well. You know I know the speed limit here is 25 in the you know the

02:04school area just if you have to go under the speed limit because of the road conditions and the kids

02:08crossing then that's what you have to do. I would just make sure that they're dressed appropriately

02:12for the weather. I mean it's very cold out here. Make sure they're wearing coats, hats, you know

02:16proper foot attire especially with all the ice on the road. So just leaving the house

02:22appropriately dressed I would say is the biggest thing.

02:27Parents should encourage children to avoid shortcuts through poorly maintained areas and

02:32most importantly remember to plan ahead, leave early, prioritize safety over speed. Now is a

02:38great time for families to have those safety conversations especially about the importance

02:42of dressing for the weather and being extra careful around icy roads and for drivers patience

02:47is key and if you live in New Jersey because it's coming for me I am a Jersey girl I feel like I am

02:53clear to say this slow down. Okay I know how we are we are pedal to the metal here in Jersey and

02:59if we're going to take some time to really just slow things down be a little bit more cautious

03:03this is the week to do so and again it's cold. Bundle up. This is not just a good reminder for

03:08children this is also a great reminder for you too. Yeah those that are watching right now I'm

03:13looking at you and through your tv screen it is cold this morning don't take any chances it's not

03:18worth it. Bundle up add the extra layers on this morning to stay warm. I feel like that's the it's

03:25an obvious right guys it has to be. Yeah it's I think maybe not so obvious because everyone's

03:30like oh it's supposed to be cold in January but these temperatures well below the historical

03:34average the accurate the real field temperature is plummeting so add an extra layer even more than

03:39you typically would in January. Better be safe than sorry or in this case better be safe than

03:43cold. Yes absolutely. Allie Reed live from Burlington County a frigid Burlington County New Jersey this morning.

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