Sledding Safety

Every year, thousands of youths and adults are injured sledding down hills in city parks, streets and resort areas. In 1995, hospital emergency rooms treated 54,727 injuries related to sleds, toboggans, and inflated or plastic tubes and disks used in sledding, according to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The medical, legal, insurance costs were $365 million. Half of all emergency visits were for injuries to arms and legs; 17 percent, spine; 15 percent, head; and 11 percent facial injuries.

Two-thirds of the injuries were sustained by youths age 14 and younger. Younger children have proportionally larger heads and higher centers of gravity than do older children and adolescents. When the injuries to youths and young adults age 15-24 are included, the 0-24 age group accounts for 85 percent of the total injuries and more than 80 percent of the total cost. From 1991 through 1995, there were 250,361 injuries related to sledding treated in hospital emergency rooms. The economic impact was $1.79 billion.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends the following safety guidelines to improve sledding safety:

Essential

• Sled only in designated areas free of fixed objects such as trees, posts and fences.
• Children in these areas must be supervised by parents or adults.
• All participants must sit in a forward-facing position, steering with their feet or a rope tied to the steering handles of the sled. No one should sled head-first down a slope.
• Do not sled on slopes that end in a street, drop off, parking lot, river or pond.

Preferred

• Children under 12 years old should sled wearing a helmet.
• Wear layers of clothing for protection from injuries.
• Do not sit/slide on plastic sheets or other materials that can be pierced by objects on the ground.
• Use a sled with runners and a steering mechanism, which is safer than toboggans or snow disks.
• Sled in well-lighted areas when choosing evening activities.

© February 1997 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
This material may not be modified without the express written permission of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

For additional information, contact Alvin Nagelberg at (847) 384-4138 or email nagelberg@mac.aaos.org