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Should Helmuts for Skiers and Snowboarders be Required by Law?

Should helmets for skiers and snowboarders be required by law?

  • They should be mandated for those under 15

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    20

MyOwnDrum

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Here's the article: California considers mandatory ski helmet laws - USATODAY.com

Two bills introduced by Democratic lawmakers from Northern California would require minors to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding. One of them also would extend to resort operations, requiring extensive injury reporting, sign posting and safety planning.

If the bills pass and are signed into law, they would give California the nation's most restrictive helmet laws for skiers and snowboarders and the most stringent requirements for ski resorts.

Lawmakers in New York and New Jersey also are pushing mandates for ski helmets. One of six New York bills, and the only one to advance out of committee, would require skiers under 15 to wear a helmet. A New Jersey bill, if passed would require helmets for skiers and snowboarders under 14.


What do you think? Should helmets for skiers and snowboarders be required by law?
 
No, but If I owned a ski resort Id have helmets for rent on the cheap. Most people probably wouldnt take them, myself included, but it would probably save some money in both reducing the work on paramedics and bad reputation reducing customers. If someone crashed and was seriously hurt or died I'd picture all kinds of worried moms keeping their kids away from my slopes.
 
The only thing that should be required by law is the availability of helmets at ski resorts.
 
Ugh, no, he's way too old.

schmidtHelmut,property=poster.jpg
 
Yes, I realize I misspelled helmet, thanks for so deftly pointing that out...
 
Of course not. Just like they shouldn't be required for motorcyclists either.

Besides, I worked ski patrol for a few years. Head injuries weren't that common, especially among skiers. They were more prevalent for snowboarders, particularly those who went to the terrain parks. But skiers? Not so much. I can't even recall a skier with a head injury offhand. Well, besides the one that died slamming face first into a tree at like 30mph. Helmet wouldn't have stopped his face from being crushed as it was.

When i worked ski patrol, I wore a helmet to set a good example to the other boarders. (my focus being the boarders in the terrain parks) Boarders DO get head injuries more often, but primarily because boarders tend to hit more jumps and try and do flips and whatnot. I don't recall any head injuries from boarders just cruising down a hill and falling.

When I rode on my own time, I did not wear a helmet. Then again, I didn't go hit jumps either.

Given my experiences with ski patrol, I could see a ski resort requiring that anyone in the terrain park wear a helmet. But not the government requiring everyone to wear one. It's really overkill for no reason than to make people FEEL like they're doing something useful.
 
IMO, no.

It seems reasonable for ski resorts to offer them along with other equipment for rental. As a package, perhaps, in a "If you rent our gear, you must use all of it" way.

But if someone wants’ to ski or snowboard without a helmet, that's their choice.
 
Treat it like a bicycle. For minors its the law, for everyone else its simply a good idea.
 
No, you are already agreeing that skiing/snowboarding is inherently dangerous when you purchase and use your lift ticket (also if you rent equipment there is another waiver involved).

It is your damn body, it is your damn decision of you want to protect your noggin or not.

I really hate laws like this, stop frikken babysitting the populace.
 
Treat it like a bicycle. For minors its the law, for everyone else its simply a good idea.

Pretty much, yeah.

For the most part I'd prefer the government to stick to issuing advice rather than demands, where personal safety is the issue.


BTW, helmet is a head protector, Helmut is a grunge band. :mrgreen:
 
Pretty much, yeah.

For the most part I'd prefer the government to stick to issuing advice rather than demands, where personal safety is the issue.


BTW, helmet is a head protector, Helmut is a grunge band. :mrgreen:
And a movie character...
 
Two bills introduced by Democratic lawmakers from Northern California would require minors to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding. One of them also would extend to resort operations, requiring extensive injury reporting, sign posting and safety planning.

For minors? Yeah. Most parents probably won't let their children go high speed down steep slopes. This legislation would target the ones who swerve around the corner. Minors can't be expected to have the necessary appreciation for security protocol to make an informed decision over whether or not to wear a helmet.
 
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IMO, yes, regardless if the facility is private or not. When skiiers and snowboarders have to be helicoptered off of the mountain and facilities halted so that emergency services can do their jobs, it costs a lot of money that the injured person might not be able to pay for.

It's been proven already that helmets reduce the incidence of craniospinal injury. Someone being paralyzed and needing to be medivaced out vs. someone just having a concussion and walking away is a big difference.

As for bike helmets... it would be a good idea, but at least people ride bikes in urban areas where emergency services are more accessible.
 
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