2015-10-07 P & R Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Check Out The H1111—Sled Safe • Municipalities,which provide the majority of sliding opportunities,are generally under the misconception that if they post"No Sliding"signs,or simply do not designate a sledding area within their community,they will have no legal responsibility for sliding accidents. This belief is not accurate. A municipality must take every reasonable pre- caution to ensure that sliding does not occur in unsafe areas,especially if they know sliding already occurs in these areas. Given the legal responsi- bility esponsibility to limit sledders'use of unsafe areas,the wisest action may be to develop and provide safe sliding hills. Children sleddeW skill levels and judgement cannot be counted on as pro- tection against collisions. • Even on steerable equipment children aged 6-12 have been proven unable to avoid hazards 30-50%of the time(Ridenour,1989). • The sliding hill behaviour of 16-to 19-year-olds and of adults suggests a lack of awareness of the risks associated with sliding. The vast majority of sliding injuries result from collisions with other objects. • Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program(CHIRPP) data shows that: 71%involved a collision with a fixed or moving object 15%were hit by a moving object More specifically(based on discussion with the injured parties): 48%lost control of their equipment 22% collided 19%fell off or fell down while sliding 5%responded to proximity to danger 2%slipped or tripped 4% other • Deaths also have been attributed to sleds being towed behind motorized vehicles,e.g.,all-terrain vehicles or cars,where riders have inadvertently been slammed into fixed objects or into the path of oncoming vehicles (Shugerman,1992). • Individuals who have been sledding in,on,and across streets have a much higher incidence of serious injury and death resulting from being hit by moving vehicles,slamwning into street furniture(lamp posts,garbage bins,hydrants),or running into the sides of moving vehicles(Shugerman, 1992). A Community Resource Guide Page 3