Ski helmets are finally catching on, but like cycling helmets it is only slowly gaining momentum. No doubt many people feel that the white stuff is fluffy and soft and thus not so bad in a fall. The truth is that hard packed snow can be deadly, as can rocks, trees and other obstacles. All this makes a “brain bucket” all the more important to wear.
However, common sense – as in using what’s inside the helmet – can be a key to staying safe. This week The Wall Street Journal noted that shorter skis and helmets have reduced ski injuries, but added that the average number of people who die on the slopes in America has remained about the same. The other disturbing fact is those who are more likely to die are intermediate or advanced skiers, who are often wearing a helmet.
This brings up something we posted about back in the July about bike helmets (Does Wearing a Cycling Helmet Really Help?). It could be, as with bikes, that wearing a helmet gives a sense of security and that those with more advanced skills tend to feel safer. The helmet sounds like the right thing to do, and thus risks are taken such as going too fast. Most skiing fatalities involve skiers going too fast and losing control, which resulted in hitting a stationary object.
So the point of this is that we still recommend a helmet for sports such as cycling and skiing, but don’t think this is armor that protects you from hard crashes. Common sense still needs to be followed.
[Via The Wall Street Journal: Ski injuries decline, but fatalities hold steady]