Injury From A Fall On Snow More Likely Walking Than Skiing
The danger of slipping over and hurting yourself walking around on snow and ice in your day to day life is now greater than the danger of hurting yourself falling when skiing or snowboarding, according to outdoor brand Halti.
The Finnish company looked at the results of numerous reports into accidents on snow and ice, both on the ski slopes and off. Halti found that the risk of injury due to slipping on ice and snow is now at least double that of being injured when skiing.
It didn’t used to be like that, but Halti found that over the last 50 years skiing has got much safer, whereas walking hasn’t. Since the 1970s, the overall risk of being injured in a skiing accident has decreased by between 80 and 90%, mainly due to advances in ski equipment. In comparison, the risk of being injured after slipping on ice and snow has remained about the same over the last five decades.
The dramatic drop in the risk of injury while skiing is predominantly the result of advances in ski-boots coupled with the increased use of protective equipment such as helmets which means injury is less likely from a fall. The introduction of the carving ski has also helped increase safety, various studies have shown.
Reports, which focus on ski injuries, found that the most important factor to reduce the risk of slipping and falling on ice or snow is grip or friction between the shoe and surface. Using an appropriate shoe or boot with increased friction, reduces the risk of slipping by over half, shining the spotlight on the importance of appropriate and quality footwear when walking around in snowy conditions in a ski resort, when you’re not actually skiing.
“This report highlights how important an effective winter boot is in snowy conditions, and although it may seem obvious that you should wear a shoe or boot with good quality grip in winter, we often see people in normal trainers or shoes that are not built for the snow,” commented Jason Summerfield, Halti Country Manager.
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