Over half of Brits shun ski helmets - even when free

Online, October 29, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Well under half of all British skiers wear ski helmets, despite a greatly heightened awareness of the danger and risk of head injury to skiers in recent years. The statistics from two-for-one ski equipment hirer, Ski Republic, and the Ski Club of Great Britain, come as many of Europe's ski resorts are experiencing the first snows of winter and the industry prepares for the 2009/10 ski season.

"Around 44% of skiers and boarders wear helmets" says Betony Garner, a spokesperson for the Ski Club of Great Britain, "yet even this very low percentage shows considerable increase over the last five years. We urge people to take the risks very seriously and advise that all children under 13 wear ski helmets this winter and adults do so at their own discretion".

Mark Warnes, Ski Republic's MD, said "We give all of our customers free ski helmet rental, yet time after time the offer is declined or the customer puts the helmet on one side. Brits are among the worst for this as most European skiers are far more likely to wear ski helmets, often bringing their own with them, or taking up our free ski helmet rental."

He continued "Helmets are essential in any sport where there is a possibility that the head may come into contact with a solid object and, without head protection, skiers are particularly vulnerable".

According to www.skihelmets.com, 44% of skiers currently wear a helmet and 42% are intending to wear one the next time they go skiing. One reason for this growth is that out of 84,200 winter sports injuries recorded last season, 17,500 were head related. It is believed that out of those 17,500, 7,700 injuries and 11 deaths could have been avoided if they had been wearing a helmet. Another reason is that new technology has given ski helmets better ventilation, made them lighter and more comfortable, and as a result they are viewed as less of a hindrance to your skiing and snowboarding.

Recent research in Canada and Sweden has shown that serious head and spine injuries are becoming more common in recent years among both skiers and snowboarders, partly because of faster speeds but also due to the inclusion of more jumping and acrobatics snowboarding styles. Studies have found that snowboarders are between one-and-a-half times and four times more likely to have accidents than skiers. Men are more likely than women to get seriously injured, those under 35 years old are at higher risk of brain injury and that the most serious injuries usually happen to people not wearing a helmet.

For details of free helmet hire visit www.ski-republic.com

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Ski Republic press contact:-
Mary Stuart-Miller, 01403 738844, mary@mstuart-miller.co.uk