[Skiing accidents caused by others].

Abstract

SKIING ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY OTHERS. The large number of skiers in winter sports resorts exposes skiers to collisions, especially on easy slopes, where skiers at low speeds, especially children, and others at high speeds rub shoulders. The latter are characterized by poor mastery of skiing techniques as well as a lack of knowledge of the rules of prevention on the slopes. Accidents linked to these manners, which have been criticized in recent years, have become an important health problem, to be distinguished from skiing accidents due to the user himself. The risks of this new practice of high-speed skiing by reckless or irresponsible "daredevils" on busy slopes, especially by children or adults learning to ski, are the cause of several deaths, and serious injuries that are totally unjustified. This affects people who legitimately practice an increasingly widespread sport. Accidents occur on well-groomed slopes forming "boulevards" conducive to dangerous speeding, which does not seem to be sufficiently taken into account, despite the warnings of ski instructors, ski patrollers, mountain rescuers and the gendarmerie. The sharing of this public space does not seem reasonable and the few signs at the top and bottom of the slopes are little read by these dangerous skiers. To reduce the number of accidents, the first measure lies in raising awareness of these accidents by ski resort managers; it is also necessary to consider progress in the regulation of the slopes, in terms of safety, and in the training and information of skiers by making them face their responsibilities.