Measures to take to Reduce Chances of Ski Injuries

Earlier this year you may recall hearing a story in the news about Natasha Richards, an actress who died after a ski accident.  Natasha Richards was skiing at the Mount Tremblant Ski Resort last year in Quebec when she fell during a ski lesson and suffered a fatal head injury. 

The interesting thing about Natasha Richard's ski injury was that she did not even know she had suffered a head injury after the fall.  Head injuries are not always apparent and some people may ignore the symptoms because they think it is caused by something else.  When you think of head injury symptoms you usually think of severe symptoms that are apparent to recognize such as numbness of the body, bleeding from the ear, paralysis, speech difficulty or vomiting.  What many people may not realize about head injuries though is that symptoms of a severe head injury could be something as subtle as nausea. 

Studies done by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) showed that on an average 38 people die per year from a fatal ski accident.  Studies also showed that approximately 42 people a year suffer severe head injuries and other serious life-threatening injuries. 

For many ski resorts the statistics from previous years along with the recent death of the actress have sparked a concern in them to to be more proactive in encouraging safety on the slopes.  Last week Mount Tremblant ski resort announced that they will be recommending that all skiers and snowboarders wear helmets when the ski season begins in a few weeks.  Other ski resorts such as Vail Resorts in Colorado announced in April that they will be requiring all of their employees in the 2009/2010 ski season to wear helmets.

Skiing and snowboarding can be a great way to have fun in the winter but before you get on the slopes you will want to make sure you are putting safety first.  Here are a few skiing and snowboarding safety tips to help you and your family stay safe - from minor injuries such as a pulled muscle to more severe injuries such as paralysis or head injury - these tips will be useful to you: 

• Make sure you are physically fit enough to ski or snowboard prior to getting on the slopes.  Making sure that your body is physically in shape throughout the year will help you when you ski or snowboard.  It will help prevent you from pulling a muscle and will help prevent your muscles from getting as sore as they might if you do not exercise throughout the rest of the year. 
• Select the right equipment.  Avoid borrowing ski and snowboard equipment.  Things such as boots and bindings are size specific.  You can not just borrow anyones equipment because it may not be the right fit for you.  You should try to purchase your own ski or snowboard equipment or if you are not able to purchase your own equipment you can rent it when you get to the ski resort.
• Wear the proper clothing.  Wearing the proper clothing when you go to the ski slopes will prevent frostbite.  You may also want to bring a few extra pairs of clothes with you in case your clothes get wet.
• Wear goggles. Wearing goggles will help prevent anything from flying into your eyes while you are going down the slope.
• Take a break.  If you begin feeling over tired or exhausted take a break for a while from skiing. 
• Choose the right trail.  Choosing the right trail will make sure that you don't get injured.  Make sure you are on a trail that you are having fun on, know what you are doing and most importantly one that you won't get hurt on.
• Obey the rules.  Rules and signs are posted around the ski resort for a reason.  Make sure you do not go in areas that are marked off limits and always follow the ski resort's rules. 
• Sign up for lessons.  If you do not know what you are doing or just need to brush up on your skiing or snowboarding skills sign up for lessons.  Skiing and snowboarding lesson usually do not cost much, if anything, and it will help you understand how to properly use your equipment.
• Wear a helmet.  Possibly one of the most important things you can do when you are skiing or snowboarding is wear a helmet.  The helmet should be worn not only while you are skiing on the experienced slopes but on the beginner slopes and during ski lessons. 

Making sure you and your children are properly protected while skiing and snowboarding should be a top priority when you go to a ski resort.  Many times ski accidents occur and severe injuries occur that could have been prevented if the proper equipment was being worn.  So make sure you stay safe while you are having fun this upcoming ski season.