Which is probably why the resorts are aiming to get people to curb their speed, too. Obviously a helmet isn't going to be of much use if you are breaking the sound barrier and you hit a ski lift pylon.

They are intended to give protection under normal use.

To be honest I don't hold much weight in the media's assessment of whether helmets are useful or not. I have read a few papers in medical journals saying that they can be quite effective at reducing head injuries though.

And how exactly does my death on the ski slope affect your premium? I don't have insurance.

[quote=RetiredInNH;422281]The real question is how much protection they provide...[quote]

Well, there was a accident in Austria involving a German politican who aparently raced into another skier at approx. 50 Km/h. He used a helmet and survived, the other did not and died. I ski all my life and never had a helmet, but bought one after this rather obvious example.

People wearing helmets will in general ski faster as the helmet mitigates auditive speed perception. A self-defeating tool, really.

http://www.austriantimes.at/index.php?id=10439

2 skiers, 1 helmet, 1 skull fractured, 1 death from head injuries.
Guess who was wearing the helmet?

"I don't have insurance." Need one say more?

That was the one I referred to.

I know it would belong in the "excessively overpriced" threat, but I bought my helmet by mailorder from the US: 70 USD plus 30 USD express post vs 200 CHF locally...

More judgemental comment.

Why do I need life insurance? I certainly don't need the money after I'm gone, and my family are well provided for.

So that's why my husband insisted on the helmet . Problem is I still ski like an arthritic giraffe, helmet or no helmet.

You need to wear it with the hole at the front..

I would choose the "I am going to buy one" option

I would be concerned if you didn't have public liability insurance. If you have an accident that turns out to be your fault that will affect others.

Of course, but it will never happen because superior skiers use their superior judgement to avoid situations which would require them to use their superior skill.

And you know exactly what a beginner is going to do next right?

If they're skiing up this black run they deserve all they get

Similar thing happened to me too. I have always worn a helmet for skiing put have never really hit my head or had any nasty falls. While skiing with some work colleagues, one of my clumsy colleagues got her skis caught somewhere while we were getting on the chairlift. Then she somehow wacked me in the head with her skis while trying to re-adjust herself in the chairlift. I still don't understand how someone can be this clumsy --- but this is not the point of my story. I would have had a huge gash on back of my head from her skis if I had not been wearing my helmet. So I definitely think helmets are a good idea for falls and for the strange accidents that can occur.

The reason I started to wear a helmet years ago was after a friend of mine sustained a head injury falling out a van. OK, he wouldn't have been wearing a helmet but he was being daft and that caused the accident. He has recovered about 95% now but will never be 100% right.

Falling or crashing when you are skiing (or any dangerous activity) and breaking bones, snapping tendons, bruising, grazing, whatever is bloody painful but in most cases heals.

If you get a hefty whack on the head and survive, there is a good chance you will be left brain damaged to a lesser or larger extent for the rest of your life. I could not put my family through the perpetual pain which would follow.

I notice that you also put paragliding down as one of your interests.

Just out of curiosity, and perhaps to understand more about the perception of risk, do you wear a helmet in that activity?

Thanks!

slightly off topic i know but...

A bike rider I know said to other bike riders without protective gear: whilst they were standing, "now fall directly on to your knees on the road..."

No one without knee pads wanted to do it??? I wonder why??

Maybe if you die in the accident it wouldn't worry you but having to live with the consequences afterwards makes me think twice before hand - double so now that I have 2 kids

After the third day of my skiing experience I started wearing it, ever since Eire and the "pack" bashed me about my daredevilish attitude on the EF. I have learnt the lessons twice and thanks to the helmet, I can still post here.