Safe Sledding

All it takes is a few inches of snow and the sleds come out in force! Kids in Wisconsin love the thrill of sliding down a hill, and thousands of them flock to our sledding hills with the first snowfall.

Unfortunately many of them get injured, some seriously. Every year in the United States at least 40,000-50,000 people are treated in Emergency Rooms for sledding injuries. Some of the injuries cause life-long injury or death, including two Wisconsin deaths in January 2002 alone. The majority of the injuries occur in children age 14 years and under, and many of the injuries occur at the bottom of the hill.

Here are some safety tips to help you and your children sled safely this winter:

· Adult Supervision is essential. Children underestimate the speed of their sleds and overestimate the amount of control they have. They forget to be sure their path is clear, or assume other sledders know to get out of the way. Once they are sliding their steering capability is limited. In addition, they need repeated reminders of safe sledding practice.

· Sled only in designated sledding areas. The terrain should be free of obstacles and far from traffic. Children should sled on packed snow, free from debris. Check carefully for snow-covered hazards such as rocks, tree limbs, and stumps. Be sure that sledders climb back up the hill in a path that is apart from the sledding run. Never sled on a slope that ends on a street, drop off, parking lot, river, or pond. If sledding at night, choose a well-lighted location.

· All sledders should ride in the sitting position, facing forward. Never sled head-first or backwards.

· Use equipment that is sturdy and safely constructed. Avoid equipment with sharp or jagged edges. Never exceed the equipment’s recommended number of riders. Use a sled with a steering mechanism, and avoid makeshift sleds.

· Children should wear ski helmets while sledding, to minimize the risk of serious head injury.

· Never ride in a sled pulled by a motor vehicle.