Reducing the Risk of Falls and Collisions in Skiing and Snowboarding

Falls or collisions?

A 2013 study by the Austrian researchers Ruedl and colleagues summarises the literature as follows: about 80–90% of skiing accidents are caused by falls and about 10% by collisions. In the same study, interviews with 1,741 injured skiers who had fallen and 137 who had collided show why collisions deserve separate attention:

In Austria's national accident registry, 30,503 collisions between 2005 and 2018 were analysed (Wallner et al., 2022): more than 95% of the collisions happened on marked slopes, and more than 12% of those injured had a head injury. In short, collisions are rare but serious, and most of them happen not off-piste but on busy marked slopes.

1. Don't guess your speed, know it

Radar measurements show that skiers go faster than they think:

• In Ruedl and colleagues' 2010 measurements, the average speed was 44 km/h.
• In Brunner and colleagues' 2015 study of 416 skiers, the average was 48 km/h; even those who rated their own speed as “slow” were skiing at an average of 39 km/h.
• In areas marked as “slow zones”, the 1,023 people measured had an average maximum speed of 52 km/h; the vast majority were well above the recommended limit (Carus and Mamaqi-Kapllani, 2023).
• In an observational study, a “slow” sign reduced speed by only half a metre per second, and by 1.1 metres per second when a patroller stood next to the sign, and this effect was seen at only one of the two sites (Harley et al., 2021).

The lesson: a sign alone is not enough; speed is your decision. Control comes from managing your speed through the shape of your turns; we explain this in our guide Skiing Steep Slopes: Controlled Descents and Line Choice.

2. Slow down at slope intersections

In a study of ski patrol reports, collisions with other people were clearly associated with slope intersections; the odds of a collision were about twice as high at an intersection (Ruedl et al., 2013). Where two slopes meet:

• Reduce your speed.
• Look uphill when leaving a slope or joining another one; this is the fourth point of the responsibility code of the US National Ski Areas Association (NSAA).
• The person ahead of you and below you has the right of way.

You can find the full set of these rules in our guide The FIS 10 Rules for Conduct on the Slopes.

3. Watch where you stop

In the Austrian registry, people who were standing still or sitting before a collision had a higher risk of serious injury. The third point of the NSAA code says it directly: stop only where you are visible from above, and do not block the slope. Just over crests, below bends and in narrow passages are bad places to stop; move to the side of the slope.

4. Know your blind spot

During one phase of the turn, a snowboarder's back faces up the slope. The New Zealand instructor manual advises snowboarders to be aware of their blind spot and to turn their heads and look before a turn. The same applies to skiers: before starting a wide turn to the left or right, a quick glance over your shoulder is enough.

5. Wear a helmet

The evidence that helmets reduce head injuries is strong:

The common claim that “helmets make people ski faster” is not supported by radar data either: in Ruedl and colleagues' 2010 measurements, helmet use was not associated with higher speed. We explain how to choose a helmet in our guide Choosing a Ski Helmet: Fit, Certification and Protection; for wrist and back protectors, see our guide When Should You Wear Back, Wrist and Hip Protectors?.

6. Alcohol: factor in the next morning too

In Cherpitel and colleagues' case-control study comparing 389 injured and 899 uninjured skiers, the amount of alcohol consumed and a longer time since drinking predicted injury. The authors explain this as a hangover or residual effect and note that fatigue may play a role. The NSAA code also says not to use lifts or slopes under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Factor in how the previous evening's fun may affect your first run the next morning.

Fatigue: the “last run” myth

“Accidents always happen on the last run of the day, from fatigue” is a common saying. But in a prospective survey of 588 skiers with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, about 81% of those injured said they felt no or very little fatigue at the time of the accident; about 57% were injured in the first two days of their holiday (Ruedl et al., 2015). This does not make fatigue unimportant; but it is a reminder that the risk is high not only at the end of the day but also in the first days, while you are still getting used to things. We cover knee injuries in our guide Knee Injuries in Skiing.

Quick checklist

1. Don't underestimate your speed; even if you think you are slow, you are probably going at around 40 km/h.
2. Slow down at slope intersections and look uphill before merging.
3. Stop only where you are visible from above, at the side of the slope.
4. Check your blind spot before turning.
5. Wear a helmet.
6. If you have been drinking, take your first runs easy the next morning.
7. In the first days, adjust your pace to your level.

Safe skiing, lasting fun

Every accident-free day is the real gain of an activity holiday. Doğadayız winter packages include accommodation, ski pass and equipment; on the basic course packages, slope rules and safe skiing are practised with an instructor. When skiing as a group, waiting for each other in places visible from above and calling out to each other at intersections are also habits that make a social adventure holiday safe. For our programmes, see the winter activity holidays page.