Laserfiche WebLink
Check Out The Hill!-Sled Safe <br /> You Can Reduce Your Children's Sliding Risk <br /> Risk Awareness —While Keeping it Fun <br /> The public is not aware of the hazards involved with sledding,the speeds <br /> that can be attained and the forces upon impact,which are very high. For exam- <br /> ple,a parent would not normally allow a child(or anyone)to sit on the hood of a <br /> car travelling at 50 kph. This would be considered an extremely hazardous prao- <br /> tice. However,parents allow and encourage their children to hurtle down slopes <br /> with no protection at speeds up to 50 kph. <br /> Parents have the greatest influence on children's behaviour by setting appro- <br /> priate examples. like most sports,sledding is a learned and practised skill that <br /> requires snow and ice assessment skills,fast perception and reaction time,and <br /> knowledge of hazard avoidance. It is like learning how to tricycle or bicycle. We <br /> start slow and,as our confidence and skills increase,we gradually face bigger chal- <br /> lenges. <br /> Insurance records-and observations at sliding hills in the Edmonton area- <br /> indicate that parents often expose their children to unnecessary hazards,forget- <br /> ting that their youngsters do not have the judgement or the skills needed for con- <br /> trolling their equipment or reacting to sledding problems. Parents,wanting their <br /> children to experience the thrill of a good slide down a hill,often overlook how <br /> risky the activity can be. <br /> Municipalities and others who provide sliding areas may want to ban certain <br /> types of sliding equipment,i.e.,inner tubes,plastic mats and plastic disks,which <br /> are not controllable and can contribute to very serious injuries. <br /> Protective Equipment - Helmets and Clothing <br /> Warm clothing worn while sledding should be the type that stays dry. Winter <br /> boots that come partway up thg leg provide better protection;they may also give <br /> support to feet and ankles,helping reduce sledding injuries to this area(Heiss, <br /> 1978;Dershewitz,1990). Padded mitts can also protect hands and wrists (Heiss, <br /> A Community Resource Guide page 4 <br />