Introduction
Collisions against obstacles (CAOs) on ski areas account for a large proportion of
deaths of skiers and snowboarders but are poorly documented. We aimed to characterize
the risk factors and injuries of CAOs and to compare occurrences of CAOs with 2 control
groups.
Methods
Between 2015 and 2019 in France, data were collected on the injured population by
ski area doctors and ski patrollers. Systematic counts were also made to describe
the noninjured population on ski slopes. Cases (CAOs injured: 3391 victims) were compared
with 2 controls (non-CAOs injured: 198,302 victims and the noninjured population:
121,227 people). Crude and adjusted logistic regressions were performed (P<0.05).
Results
Males, highly skilled participants, skiers, and people aged <26 y had higher risks
of being injured after a CAO than a non-CAO. Moreover, CAOs more frequently occurred
off-slopes and on very easy slopes; lifts were more often involved. Injuries to the
head and neck and trunk were more likely to occur after CAOs than non-CAOs. Medical
helicopters were more often used for CAOs than non-CAOs. Compared with the noninjured
population, no age, sex, or sport group appeared clearly at risk of CAOs.
Conclusions
Typical victims of CAOs are males, skiers, young people, and highly skilled participants.
This population was previously identified for moving fast on the slopes and having
risk-seeking behavior, putting them at risk of high-energy accidents. There is a need
for adequate prevention, such as awareness campaigns, and protection, such as individual
device and padding on obstacles, that focus on protecting against injuries to the
head, neck, and trunk.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 27, 2022
Accepted:
September 7,
2022
Received:
February 10,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
