Winter is a great time of year. Many people enjoy sledding, skiing and ice-skating during the winter months. However, these activities may be dangerous. If you follow some simple safety precautions, you will greatly reduce your chance of being injured.
- Always wear a helmet.
- Inspect your toboggans and sled before using them.
- Supervise your children at all times.
- Avoid hills that have a lot of obstacles, such as trees, rocks, fences and poles.
- Do not stand up on the sled.
- Be sure that your feet are always pointing down hill. Never sled face first.
- Sled in wide-open spaces.
- When walking up the sledding hill, be sure that you stay to the sides.
- Only sled during day light hours. Obstacles are too hard to see at night.
- If you think you are about to hit an object, roll off your sled immediately.
- Do not sled near lakes or other bodies of water.
Sledding accidents may result in serious head, back and neck injuries. These accidents are preventable by trying to be safe and using common sense. You want to enjoy the outdoors and avoid serious injury.
Tyler Tomlinson, Esquire of Stark & Stark, has successful represented several children that were involved in significant sledding and tubing accidents. Many of this incidents were preventable. However, the ski resorts or property owners had unsafe conditions on their premises.