Sled Riding Safety 101

Sled riding has always been a fun activity for both children and adults. Unfortunately, each year thousands people are seriously injured while sled riding. Last year alone, more then 55,000 injuries related to sled riding were treated in emergency rooms across the country. More then half of these injuries were to the arms and legs, 17% were to the spine, 15% were to the head and 11% were facial injuries. Even the less serious injuries included torn ligaments, broken bones, frostbite and lacerations. The good news is, most of these injuries can be prevented by following these safety tips and reviewing them with your little ones.

Safety Tip # 1
Never sled ride in the dark and always sled ride in a well light area that is free of trees or other objects. While you may be familiar with the area, everything looks different in the dark and serious injuries could occur.

Safety Tip # 2
Always wear a helmet, especially for those children under 12 years of age. Head injuries are very serious and while a broken arm or leg can be repaired, many head injuries are permanent and life threatening.

Safety Tip # 3
Wear gloves, jackets and boots that are insulated and water proof. Each year many children and adult are treated for frostbite while sled riding.

Safety Tip #4
Drag your feet to slow down a run away sled. If this does not work, roll off your sled and onto the ground, this is much safer then staying on the sled.

Safety Tip #5
Avoid using inner tubes, saucers and disks. These are hard to steer and could cause you to injure yourself or another person.

Safety Tip #6
Do not sled ride when it is icy outside. The ice will cause your sled to go very fast and you will not be able to control it.

Safety Tip #7
Inspect your sled beforehand and make sure it is in good condition, before hitting the sloops. A faulty sled could cause you to lose control and could injure you or someone else.

Safety Tip #8
Never sled ride in an unsafe area, such as near a street, driveway or cliff.

Safety Tip #9
Never attach your sled to the bumper of a car or any other moving vehicle. This is extremely dangerous and many people are injured or killed each year doing this.

Safety Tip #10
Inspect the terrain. Know where fences, gullies, and rocks may be hidden. Beware of open bodies of water and thin ice

Safety Tip #11
Never ever sled ride head first, this is extremely dangerous and could cause serious head and spinal injuries. If your head hits another object at 20 mph you would not survive the impact.

Safety Tip #12
Never sit on plastic sheets or anything that can be pierced by sharp objects. At the speed a sled travels this could cause large lacerations.

Safety Tip #13
Never stand on a sled. Snowboards are designed for standing on, sled's are not. Falling off a sled while standing could cause serious injury or death.

Safety Tip #14
Keep hands, arms and legs inside sled at all times to avoid limb injuries.

Safety Tip #15
Always have an adult supervise any sled riding with young children. Make sure a cellular phone is available and have a first aid kit handy.

Finally, remember to recognize the symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite. Symptoms of hypothermia are confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Warning signs of frostbite include gray, white or yellow skin discoloration. These are both very serious and require immediate medical attention.