More children and adults are wearing helmets every year, but the experts warn not to let them give you a false sense of security. Avoid people ahead of you on the trail. They have the right of way. Whenever starting downhill, yield to others uphill, too. Ski areas, for their part, are doing more than ever to keep the country's 52 million-plus skiers safe.
Safety is so important that instructors inject a lesson in their weekly skits for guests.
Vail, Beaver Creek and Copper Mountain resorts are among the first to embrace the latest technology. All it takes is the touch of a button. Now hundreds of skiers a day are using them. Fancher promises they'll be available at more ski areas next year. Ski industry experts, meanwhile, say they're convinced these two high-profile deaths and the sudden focus on slope safety will have positive payoffs and not drive families away.