Caution keeps wintertime sledders from injury

So we finally got some serious snow. OK, not so much. But for a child, any time the ground is barely white, it’s time for the sleds, snowboards, snow tubes and discs to come out. Every winter, an average of 35,000 children 14 and under are treated in emergency rooms for sledding injuries. It’s up to you to teach your children how to be safe in the snow. There are no education programs for drivers, permits, or licensing requirements for sledders.

First some basics. Steer children away from dangerously steep areas, especially where there are obstructions (trees, rocks, fences) along the way or at the bottom of a hill. Most serious sliding injuries occur from hitting objects or other sledders.

Do not allow kids to sled down hills ending on traveled roads. Many serious injuries and deaths occur when out-of-control or inattentive sledders are struck by passing cars. A large percentage of these accidents happen at the end of the family driveway.

“Snow tubes” seem harmless because they are soft and seem as if they would protect a child from the jarring effect, sharp runners, and edges of sleds. But inflatable snow tubes are virtually impossible to steer to avoid obstructions. Sleds with steering mechanisms are safer.

Children under 4 should never be allowed to sled without a parent along for the ride. Above that age, the steepness of the hill should guide whether children go down the hill alone.

Consider having your child wear a helmet, but do not let it be an excuse for recklessness.

Don’t let even your older kids sled alone. Make sure they have a friend along so if one gets injured the other can go for help.

Keep your kids away from crowded hills where crashes with others can occur.

Do not allow your children to sled after dark unless in a brightly lit area.

Do not let kids attempt jumps carrying them higher than four feet into the air (on powdery snow) or to jump onto packed snow or ice. Either can cause impact and spinal injury.

Dress your children to keep warm and dry, preferably in multiple layers and with special attention to hands and feet. Monitor weather forecasts for wind chill warnings.

Be aware that drinking and sledding is a growing problem among teen-agers. Drunk sledders are much more likely to injure themselves or others.

Snowboarding is becoming more popular each year. Because the rider is standing up there is greater risk of injury from a fall. Don’t let your children sled where snowboarders are whizzing about any more than you’d let them swim where motorboats and water-skiers are screaming by.

If your child has a plastic sled such as a disk, a flat toboggan-style sled, or one of those that looks like a ski with a seat on it, check it often for cracks or splits. Subzero temperatures can make the plastic brittle. When the plastic splits or breaks, it can become lethally sharp and slash or stab even through the leather of a boot.

Finally a word to protect the little fort and igloo makers. Try as best you can to keep kids from tunneling. Snow roof cave-ins take many young lives each year by suffocation. Never let your children build forts or igloos in roadside snowbanks pushed up by the plow. Hundreds of children are injured and killed each year by vehicles and snowplows that hit snowbank play areas.

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