Mandatory Helmets at Ski Areas

[Marc]

I agree with the sentiments put forth by highpeaksdrifter. Nothing much I can add.







Um. Stay in drugs. Don't do school.

Or something.

 

[skidbump]

thats bullshit
you should have a choice as should you with motorcycles and seatbelts
No one has the right to dictate what i do to my body or how i protect it...with that said

I think anyone who refuses to wear a helmet or a seatbelt is insane

 

[RISkier]

I don’t doubt that seat belts save lives.

I also don’t doubt that if drivers and passengers where required by law to wear crash helmets, fire proof body suits, and body amour that that would save lives too.

If auto makers where required to make vehicles that would be safer, but of course would add thousands of dollars to the cost, that would save lives too.

The easiest way to save lives, and would even save money, would be to pass a law to lower the speed limit to 40 mph.

What do you think about these possible laws for the good of the many?





"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" - I do, I think it's the middle one.

There's definately lots of gray area here. And I'm NOT advocating that helmets become mandatory at ski areas. Indeed, based on what I know, I'd say they shouldn't. If all vehicle passangers and drivers were required to were helmets and body armor, more lives would be save and fewer serious injuries would be occur. And clearly if skiing were banned there's be fewer ski injuries. But the point at which individual privilege and community good intersect will always be a point of tension. But perhaps we'll just need to disagree, I don't think skiing is a right, I think it's a privilege, and I don't think people have a right to drive, it's a privilege. Now, if I were required to wear body armor to ski I might decide it's no longer an activity that I'm willing to continue, but I don't think I've given up a fundamental right.

 

[Marc]

There's definately lots of gray area here. And I'm NOT advocating that helmets become mandatory at ski areas. Indeed, based on what I know, I'd say they shouldn't. If all vehicle passangers and drivers were required to were helmets and body armor, more lives would be save and fewer serious injuries would be occur. And clearly if skiing were banned there's be fewer ski injuries. But the point at which individual privilege and community good intersect will always be a point of tension. But perhaps we'll just need to disagree, I don't think skiing is a right, I think it's a privilege, and I don't think people have a right to drive, it's a privilege. Now, if I were required to wear body armor to ski I might decide it's no longer an activity that I'm willing to continue, but I don't think I've given up a fundamental right.

Without turning into a political discussion, you are misinterpreting, in fact, flipping around the philosophy of the founding fathers and constitution's authors.

The people give the government power, not the other way around. Similarly, the constitution spells out the power of government, not its limits. All other powers and liberties are assumed to be those of the citizens.






Clearly snow should be banned.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I don't think skiing is a right, I think it's a privilege, and I don't think people have a right to drive, it's a privilege. Now, if I were required to wear body armor to ski I might decide it's no longer an activity that I'm willing to continue, but I don't think I've given up a fundamental right.

RI, I hope you don’t think I’m attacking you, I just enjoy an intelligent debate.

I don’t get why you think skiing and driving are privileges. Do you think shopping for groceries, going to the movies and taking a walk are privileges too. IMO we should have the right to do what ever we want as long as in doing so we do no harm to others.

 

[Plowboy]

So, I show up at the mountain with my dayglow one piece suit, Olin Mark IV"s with Spademan binders and Billy Kidd cowboy hat.

Am I good to go? Or can I rent a helmet?

 

[Geoff]

Just what I want.... a mandatory helmet on a 70 degree spring skiing day.

I live in New Hampshire. We don't need no stinkin' helmet law.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Just what I want.... a mandatory helmet on a 70 degree spring skiing day.

I live in New Hampshire. We don't need no stinkin' helmet law.

Ha...you have a point...Live free or die.

 

[deadheadskier]

I personally do not wear a helmet. Is it wise to wear one? probably, even though from what I've read they do very little to protect someone traveling in excess of 20 mph. That being said, I think it should be the individuals decision.

I'm sure that even if I wore one for much of the year, I would most certainly not want to be wearing one while skiing bumps and enjoying the warm weather of spring

 

[AdironRider]

I wear a helmet every time I ride, but I dont think it should be mandated. Ive had about 6 concussions as well in my life, which is more of the reason why I do wear one in the first place. I dont think if Ive had so much head trauma I would be wearing one.

I find it interesting as helmets really arent going to save you if you going at any reasonable rate of speed, but for young children I think they would be beneficial.

 

[dmc]

NO

Keep your laws off my head...

 

[Vortex]

Just what I want.... a mandatory helmet on a 70 degree spring skiing day.

I live in New Hampshire. We don't need no stinkin' helmet law.

Post of the day.8)

 

[dmc]

I find it interesting as helmets really arent going to save you if you going at any reasonable rate of speed,

At high speeds... Helemets just leave a nicer looking corpse...

 

[Sparky]

Certainly different in that the statistical evidence for or against helmets isn't very clear but it's somwhat analogous to seat belts. I understand the sentiment that "I have the right to decide whether I'll wear a seat belt or not, it's my choice." Of course when folks are injured when not wearing a seat belt (assuming they wouldn't have been or at least less seriously injured with a seat belt -- and there's tons of evidence that in the long run seat belts save lives and reduce the severity of injuries) increase vehicle and health insurance costs for others. So I think if it could be clearly demonstrated that helmets provide a clear safety benefit, sometimes the benefits to the many outweigh the costs to the few. So, I'm not in favor of mandatory helmets, but it certainly wouldn't keep me from skiing somewhere. I don't think the right to ski without a helmet is an unalienable right.

The basic premise of my comments was that it is my demission as an adult. No one else is harmed if I don’t wear a helmet. In the case of a seat beat, you could be put into a position where you could lose control your car if you are not wearing your seat belt, there by putting other people in harms way. No one wants to put other people at risk, but we have to be careful of protecting our own freedoms. At the risk of sounding political it seems that this is the way we lose them, bit by bit. Part of skiing is about being in charge of your own destiny even if it is only for the brief time it takes to make your favorite run. One more requirement just sucks away more of that feeling. I wonder if this sort of creeping impingement on our personal control is the cause for the increase in backcountry skiing?

 

[smootharc]

How about mandatory Baby Powder....

.....for that one guy in every lodge who yanks his 1984 ski socks from his 1978 boots, and his last shower was 1996.

Good Hygiene Rules !

Personal rants aside, with regard to helmets....perhaps mandatory up to age 12 would be good.

If I am not mistaken, the increased incidence of severe/fatal head trauma ski accidents rose dramatically with the increase of crowded, wide, flat, often-icy, McTrails. Perhaps someone has direct data here. Higher speeds, less experience, one edge caught, one pinballing skier off into the trees. Sad.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Helmet Laws?

I have been wearing a helmet for about 7-8 years. Had I been wearing one about 16 years ago I would have suffered far less concussion damage when I landed on my forehead on a patch of ice. I know this issue gets into questions of "freedom to assume risk" so as far as adults are concerned, I'm for simply adding legal language to the already terrifying message of "risk assumption" that gets printed on lift tickets. I do believe, that kids can't make reasonable decisions on this issue, and there are many adults who make poor decisions for their own kids in regard to many things (like no seatbelts and car seats for their children) so I'm OK with mandatory helmet laws for children.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Throw out whatever data you want about this issue. If helmets were conclusively proven to save lives in almost all situation, I'd still be against mandatory helmet laws. It's about two words:

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

I don't need the govt, or a ski area manager, telling me how I should equip myself. I am perfectly capable of making an informed decision on my own. I think the same goes for seatbelt laws and motorcycle helmet laws. That said, no matter where I am, I happen to always wear a seatbelt in the car, motorcycle helmet on the bike, or ski helmet on the slopes. Maybe it would save a few people to require them to wear helmets, but that's an issue for them, or (for minors) their parents, to decide.

The only way this makes sense is for kids under a certain age to be required to wear them b/c obviously they can't make informed decisions.

 

[marcski]

Without turning into a political discussion, you are misinterpreting, in fact, flipping around the philosophy of the founding fathers and constitution's authors.

The people give the government power, not the other way around. Similarly, the constitution spells out the power of government, not its limits. All other powers and liberties are assumed to be those of the citizens.

Actually, the constitution is an anti-majoritarian document. It protects the individual's rights from big government. The founding fathers were concerned about federalism. States rights and powers v. central gov't's rights and powers. The constitution protects individual (and state's) rights from officials that are elected by a majority of the people.

My personal opinion....as for helmets (and almost everything else) leave me alone. (p.s. what am i wearing in the pic to the left?)

 

[Mark D]

i wear a helmit all the time anyway so it wouln't affect me much. of corse i spend most of my time in the park.

 

[awf170]

i wear a helmit all the time anyway so it wouln't affect me much. of corse i spend most of my time in the park.

I don't think the helmet helped...