Remembering a few numbers can keep you safe on the lake ice this winter:

	2 inches of ice or less	Thin Ice!  Danger!
	4 inches of ice	One person with gear (200 pounds)
	5 inches of ice	One snowmobile  (800 pounds)
	7 inches of ice	Group of people (1,500 pounds)
	8- 12  inches of ice	One car  (2,000 pounds)
	12-15 inches of ice	Medium Truck

• Go out with a buddy and keep a good distance apart as you walk out. If one of you goes in the other can call for help.  The companion can also attempt a rescue if one of you are carrying rope or other survival gear.

• Wear a life jacket if walking on the ice. Life vests or float coats provide excellent flotation and protection from hypothermia. Never wear a life jacket if you are traveling in an enclosed vehicle, however.

• Carry a pair of homemade ice picks with wooden handles with a few yards of strong cord to pull yourself up and onto the ice if you do fall in.

• Avoid driving on the ice whenever possible. In the 117 ice fatalities occurring in Minnesota since 1976, 68 percent involved a vehicle.

• Move your car frequently. Parking in one place for a long period weakens ice. Don’t park near cracks, and watch out for pressure ridges or ice heaves. Don’t drive across ice at night or when it is snowing. Reduced visibility increases your chances for driving into an open or weak ice area.

• Contact a local resort or bait shop for information about known thin ice areas. Check at the access if there are signs that indicate an aeration system is in operation on the lake. Aerators keep areas of water open to provide oxygen for fish.