Do you wear a helmet?
Posted on March 18th, 2009 – 3:28 PMBy Josephine Marcotty
Natasha Richardson’s terrible skiing accident has the public safety world buzzing about ski helmets. Read about here in The Lede in the New York Times.
But a helmet may not have made a difference. Dr. Ron Tarrel, a neurologist with the Noran Clinic in Minneapolis, says that it sounds like she may have had a shear injury. That’s when the brain is damaged inside the skull by rapid acceleration and de accleration. It happens in car accidents, and it could happen when someone on skis takes a bad fall.
“It’s about the movement of the brain within the skull,” he said. “Boxers suffer shear injuries frequently.”
It could cause death. And it can happen even with a helmet on, he said.
Still, wearing a helmot while skiing is still the best protection against brain injury, he said. “It’s the best you can do. I wear one myself,” he said. “Now they’re even stylish.”
I’ve been a skier and snowboarder all my life and I have never worn a helmet. I wear one biking. I wear my seat belt without fail. But never on the slopes.
According to the National Ski Area Association, I’m in the majority. But it looks like the next generation might be different.
- 43 percent of U.S. skiers and boarders overall wear helmets, up from 40 percent from the year before; in comparison, only 25 percent of skiers and boarders wore helmets during the 2002/03 season.
- 70 percent of children 9 years old or younger wear ski helmets.
- 60 percent of children between 10 and 14 wear ski helmet.
For more on this check the National Ski Area Association web site.
5 Responses to "Do you wear a helmet?"
Hell, yes. Anything else is stupid. I would wear one while driving my car if I didn’t think it would make me a magnet for idiots and the police.
I don’t even own a helmet, but might this year for biking.
Don’t wear one skiing either — but would consider. I am also a figure skater, and no skater (except hockey kids) wears helmets. And ice is harder than snow.
Hmmm…maybe I’ll reconsider my hobby.
I think maybe hockey players wear them to protect against other players more than the ice! Just like a bike helmet is as much for cars as the pavement. JM
When I was a kid we did not have to wear seat belts, now I can’t drive five feet without it…law or no law, it is the right and safe thing to do.
I saw a friend in a ski accident he was wearing a helmet and it was still quite bad. I went out that evening bought a helmet and have worn it ever since.
The last time I did not wear a helmet bicycling (about 20 yrs ago) I went over the bars at about 30mph. Lucky to survive.
Even so, I never wore a helmet while skiing until about 7 years ago. My wife, while standing at the base of Sugarloaf (Maine) Mountain, looked up and said to me: “You’re getting a helmet.” I love that helmet and now wouldn’t think of skiing without it. The best side benefit: my ears, head and face are NEVER EVER cold. Even while skiing in 10 below temperatures.
