health

Study warns helmets don’t offer full protection on slopes

5 Comments
By MICHAEL CASEY

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Sourpuss, bit of a late response but this is exactly why i have helmet speakers and not earphones like most others do. Earphones stop you being able to hear things around you. A speaker placed in the helmet earpads is not directly on my ears, so I still hear everything that goes on around me. I can still hold conversations on the lift even though i have music playing.

It is sort of like listening to the BGM they have playing at most resorts these days, but its music of your own choice. Possibly not suitable for those people who love to have music drowning out everything around them, but its great to hear something other than J-pop crap that the resorts play while riding.

Admittedly i can turn them up to full volume to drown out most other sounds, and i have done this when psyching up for a jump in the park. But that is an area where people wait to take their turn at the jump, you wont need to listen out for a screaming out of control newbie.

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holds my helmet speakers for some sweet tunes

Besides common sense, our ears and eyes are the best defense mechanisms we have against injury. If you feel you need a helmet because you push the limits, you're already making a mistake.

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After I realized I am kinda speed freak, I bought myself a helmet. And without any studies, I am fully aware that the helmet is not an invincibility cloak, so I do speed within my skill limits and where the slope allows. And I wish the ski patrols would do more about the morons (mostly snowboarders) who clog the slopes (mostly sitting in the middle of the slope), or ride well beyond their ability level, posing a real danger. Actually my biggest accident was on a really steep slope, when an idiot lost control an came crashing directly onto me

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Helmet use on Japanese slopes is still painfully low. I wonder what the injury rate is like here. Unfortunately it is a known fact that many resorts do not report injuries or deaths that occurred on their premises - its bad advertising.

As for the study, considering it is based in the US where helmets are worn by almost everyone, it means the level of skill and style of riding are too broad to come to a single conclusion about their effectiveness.

Split the injury/death statistics up into skill level and slope grading (beginner, intermediate, advanced, park, halfpipe, trees etc) and it will be a much more useful set of statistics.

As for me, i wear one because its warm, keeps my goggles from coming off if i stack it, and holds my helmet speakers for some sweet tunes. Oh and the added protection is a bonus.

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People wearing helmets will definitely ski harder in trees. Branches that would pull off a hat and goggles but not take you down can be ignored. They'll just bounce off the helmet. Going harder means more risk of hitting a tree full on.

I wear a helmet when skiing and cycling, but you still have to do them defensively.

With cycling, there is the extra phenomenon that drivers give the least passing distance to cyclists wearing a helmet and lycra. The more pro you look, the more likely a car is to hit you.

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