According to the National Ski Areas Association, there are an average of 34 skiing and snowboarding fatalities in the United States each year. Of these, about a third are caused by collisions with trees, poles, or other objects, and another third are attributed to avalanches. But a significant number of skiing deaths-an estimated 10%-are caused by injuries from ski lifts or chairlifts. And many of those deaths could be prevented if skiers and snowboarders followed some basic safety rules.
One of the most common lift-related injuries is what's known as a seat drop. This occurs when the chair you're riding in suddenly drops a few inches-often because someone ahead of you has fallen out of their chair. If you're not paying attention, you can be thrown forward and off balance, and if you're not wearing a seat belt (which is required on all chairs), you could fall out of your chair completely. To avoid this, always keep your hands on the handrails and pay attention to the people around you. If someone does fall out of their chair ahead of you, brace yourself for impact and hold on tight until the chair comes to a stop.
Another common injury occurs when people try to jump off the lift before it reaches the unloading area. This might seem like a good way to get down quickly if you're in a hurry, but it's actually very dangerous. The chairs on most lifts move much faster than they appear to from ground level, so if you jump off early you could easily land in front of-and get run over by-the next chair coming down the line. Not only is this extremely dangerous for you, but it's also unfair to the other skiers who have waited their turn and followed the rules. So please don't do it!
If you do find yourself falling while getting onto or off the lift (or at any other time), tuck your knees up into your chest and