Winter helmets
According to The Economic Burden of Injury in Canada 2009 report, all winter activities account for over 70,000 of unintentional injuries in Canada with nearly 1,400 resulting in partial and permanent disability. These serious injuries total $400 million dollars in direct and indirect costs to the health care system, which combined are contributing to the social and economic burden of unintentional injuries.
An international review which included Canada concluded that head injuries are the most common cause of death among skiers and snowboarders. Traumatic brain injuries account for 50-88 per cent of the fatalities at ski resorts.1 Children account for 67 per cent of all ski related deaths.2 Research has demonstrated that ski and snowboard helmets are effective at preventing serious head injuries. It is estimated that nearly 50 per cent of all skiing and snowboarding head injuries could be prevented by simply wearing a helmet.3
Endnotes
1 Ackery A, Hagel BE, Provvidenza C, Tator CH. An international review of head and spinal cord injuries in alpine skiing and snowboarding. Inj Prev 2007;13(6):368-75.
2 Xiang H, Stallones L, Smith GA. Downhill skiing injury fatalities among children. Inj Prev 2004;10(2):99-102.
3 Russell K, Christie J, Hagel BE. The effect of helmets on the risk of head and neck injuries among skiers and snowboarders: a meta-analysis. CMAJ 2010;182(4):333-40.
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