Should ski areas be required to have safety bars on lifts?

[deadheadskier]

I was reading the latest ski magazine and there were some photos in an article on Alta showing a detachable quad that does not have a safety bar. Do you think resorts should be required by law to have them? I know some states do require them, I believe Vermont is one of them. Should all states?

I'm someone who ALWAYS puts the bar down, kind of like wearng a seat belt. I would be a bit uneasy spending a day at a ski area that did not have them.

[Terry]

I don't know if they should be required by law, but it is a good idea to have them. I almost always put it down when I am riding. I have had a few occasions on a high speed quad that stopped quick when it felt like I was going to slide right out of the chair.

[Hawkshot99]

Not required by law, cause then I would always have to use it. I have been yelled at by patroll at places in VT. But I think the mountain should have them on the chair. When it is a crowded chair its nice to be able to lean on it.

[thetrailboss]

Most states require them. I close mine all the time....you never know when a gust of wind will come up, or when the lift will abruptly stop.

[MadPadraic]

No!
All-in-all I can't stand most safety bars. I think that this stems form learning to ride out west, but I really really dislike safety bars.
Why you ask? I'll give you two reasons:
1) They are very uncomfortable.
2) I've been hit in the back of the head and made blurry by some over aggressive skier putting it down before everyone was settled in.

I'll admit that the ones with no foot rests are better, but they really have no place on a double or triple.

[ta&idaho]

Originally Posted by MadPadraic

No!
All-in-all I can't stand most safety bars. I think that this stems form learning to ride out west, but I really really dislike safety bars.
Why you ask? I'll give you two reasons:
1) They are very uncomfortable.
2) I've been hit in the back of the head and made blurry by some over aggressive skier putting it down before everyone was settled in.

I'll admit that the ones with no foot rests are better, but they really have no place on a double or triple.

Agreed. I read the same article and laughed when the author mentioned getting whacked in the head when riding chairs with Europeans. Another reason to wear a helmet, I've learned...

[MadPadraic]

Originally Posted by ta&idaho

Agreed. I read the same article and laughed when the author mentioned getting whacked in the head when riding chairs with Europeans. Another reason to wear a helmet, I've learned...

Since you've got Idaho in your name: if slow ghost at Schweitzer doesn't need one, then no double anywhere needs one.

[Marc]

I won't put it down unless someone I'm riding with wants it down... or it has a foot rest.

Unlike seatbelts, safety bars have not undergone rigorous testing in a laboratory environment to be shown they will provide a high life safety factor in nearly every hazardous situation. In any case, despite the fact I'm not long into my skiing career and I've only skied on the east coast... I've never felt like I was going to fall out of any chair from a sudden stop or high gust of wind (both of which I've experienced). Then again, some people are more comfortable with heights than others. Being in the FD has given me lots of time to not only get comfortable with heights, but comfortable with operating power tools in low visibility and low traction conditions wearing lots of poorly balanced gear at heights.

Hell, riding a chair lift is like a walk in the park.

[Marc]

All that being said, my answer is no, ski areas should not be required to have them. If you want a chair lift with a bar, find a lift that has one. There's enough of a market for chairlifts with bars on them that you won't go wanting.

[millerm277]

Personally, I say no, mostly because I don't like them or think they're necessary on anything but beginner lifts.