Sledding Safety reminder
Even here in southeast Arizona snow brings out sleds and sledding safety is a concern. Pictures of families sledding and skiing bring smiles and we hope nothing happens to remove those great memories. Here are a few tips we hope you remember to keeps everyone safe.
Partner up when sledding
Young children should not ride a sled alone. The younger children are likely to fall off and main not know how to stop safely.
Wear a helmet when sledding
Head injuries are most common sledding injury. The reasons to wear a helmet when sledding are the same as when riding a bicycle.
Forget snow tubes
No matter the age, sledders using snow tubes have been found such tubes cause the most serious head injuries of all the sledding toys.
Find a Safe Spot
Look for and use a slope with a large stopping area and free of trees, fences, utility polls, jumps and bumps. And never use a slope that crosses a road.
Get out of the Way
Once the run is done, get off the slope quickly to avoid any collisions.
Take Turns when sledding
Take turns with others on the slope so everyone isn’t flying down the hill at the same time.
FYI: According researcher Lara Mckenzie, Ph.D. of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, some 20,000 children were treated in ERs last year for some type of sledding injury. The head is the most commonly injured body part.
