Ski helmets prevent head injuries by 35%: Study

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDFeb 13 2011

According to experts there is evidence that helmets help protect downhill skiers and snowboarders from head injuries, but more needs to be done to encourage helmet use.

Gerhard Ruedl and colleagues from the sport science department at University of Innsbruck in Austria said some measures could be inclusion of helmets in skiing packages or rent them out. They write in an editorial published online Feb. 10 in BMJ saying that there have been quite a few high-profile skiing-related deaths in Europe and North America. In one of those cases, actress Natasha Richardson died after she suffered a traumatic head injury while skiing in March 2009. She was not wearing a helmet.

They add that between nine and 19% of all skiing injuries reported by Austrian ski patrols and emergency departments are head injuries - and severe head injuries, including traumatic brain injury, are a leading cause of death in winter sports. Thus the researchers concluded that, “wearing a ski helmet seems to make sense to prevent head injuries in all age groups.” Other studies found that 74% of head injuries occurred when skiers hit their head on the snow, 10% when they collided with other skiers and 13% when they collided with fixed objects. This suggests that “protecting the head with a helmet must be beneficial”, the researchers say.

In a latest study researchers found that ski helmets reduced head injuries by 35 percent overall and by 59 percent among children younger than 13 years of age. Some experts believe that helmet use may provide skiers with a false sense of security and lead to riskier behaviour. But one study found that rates of helmet use are higher in skilled skiers. This suggests that “the use of a helmet is not necessarily associated with a higher level of risk taking but primarily with a higher level of skill,” according to the authors of the editorial.

In the United States, where latest data shows that helmet use has risen to nearly 50%, some resorts have made helmets compulsory for their employees. Betony Garner, spokesperson for the Ski Club of Great Britain, says that helmet use on the slopes has increased dramatically over the last few years. “Our view is that children under the age of 13 should wear a protective helmet and adults should use their own discretion,” she said. “There are still a big group of people who won’t wear a helmet - experienced skiers and some ski instructors, because they are not used to it and just don’t think it’s necessary,” she added.