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Vacation Safety: Hit the slopes (just not literally)

By Megan Roth

We all go on vacation with the intention of having a good time and relaxing; for most of us, our relaxed state of mind is the temporarily escaping the ‘real world' and the many pressures that come with it.

For certain skiers and snowboarders (among other active individuals), a relaxed sense of being stems from the pain killers and various other meds that are pumped into their bodies with the hope of lessening the pain of their injuries.

As mentioned in Wednesday's post, skiing and snowboarding accidents occur more often than one would think. In fact, an average of 38 people die each year from snow-skiing/snowboarding and yet another 42 individuals sustain serious injuries (such as paraplegia) each year.

While this number is incredibly high (compared to what I would've guessed), it's actually lower than the estimated injuries that occurred each year in previous decades.

The decline in injuries and fatalities is due in large part to improvements in equipment (such as release binding systems, ski leashes and ski breaks). But don't be fooled – having top-of-the-line equipment doesn't mean your safe from all forms of harm.

The severity of ski/snowboarding-related injuries is largely dependent upon the speed at which the skier is moving. Think about it: the faster an object (or individual moves), the harder the impact in the event of a collision. And the harder the impact, the more severe one's injuries are bound to be.

Wrist, head, shoulder and knees are the body parts most commonly injured in winter activity accidents, which range from fractures to cuts to sprains and concussions. Skiers are more prone to lower body injuries (which often result from twisting during falls), while snowboarders more frequently sustain injuries to their upper bodies (from falling either face-forward or on outstretched hands).

It's scary, really, how a simple tumble in the snow can result in broken bones, torn ligaments and even nerve damage so severe that paraplegia may result.

And while it's unfortunate that such injuries will undoubtedly limit the amount of fun and relaxation had on a vacation, it's even more unfortunate that such injuries may actually alter one's entire life.

As with all accidents, you can't prevent such injuries from occurring (unless, of course, you forego skiing/snowboarding altogether); however, you can lessen the likelihood that they'll occur by following certain precautionary measures when it comes to the gear you wear and the slopes you travel.

It's not so much about appearances as it is about applications, folks. Wear a helmet, dress appropriately (in terms of weather, not trends) and stick to the slopes recommend for individuals at your level.

Like I said, you can't guarantee an injury won't occur but playing the part of a smart snow-bunny makes it a lot less likely to occur…

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Megan Roth

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on March 19, 2009 (boomark / email).