Swiss ski rescuers attended 14,000 accidents last winter

Last season, piste rescue services treated 14,000 people in Swiss ski resorts. Some 80% of accidents occurred while skiing. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox This is shown by injury statistics from the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention. A total 15% of accidents occurred while snowboarding and four percent while sledging. In a third of snowboarding accidents, wrists and forearms were injured. In 39% of skiing accidents, knee injuries were involved. + ‘Valley of Death’: are the Swiss too tolerant of extreme sports? In every tenth accident, the rescue services registered a head injury. It is encouraging that almost everyone now wears a helmet on the slopes. According to experts, this reduces the risk of serious head injury by a third. Over 90% of accidents on snow sports slopes are self-inflicted. Skiers and snowboarders often overestimate their abilities. Inadequate or incorrectly maintained equipment can also lead to injuries. The ski bindings should ...