Safety Helmets, Efficacy of in Reduction of Head Injuries in Recreational Skiers and Snowboarders

Published 2011

Level 1

All recreational skiers and snowboarders should wear safety helmets to reduce the incidence and severity of head injury during these sports.

Note: As with evidence regarding helmet efficacy in the reduction of head injury and mortality in motorcycle crashes, Class I evidence on helmet efficacy in recreational skiing and snowboarding is lacking. However, the above statement has been designated as a Level I recommendation because in our review of evidence, a preponderance of Class II data regarding helmet efficacy in head injuries in skiers and snowboarders with significant construct validity was observed. This was further coupled with the acknowledgement of the inability to ethically perform a RCT in this arena.

Level 2

The following observations were also made during the review of literature on the subject:

  1. Helmets do not appear to increase the risk compensation behavior among skiers and snowboarders.
  2. Helmets do not appear to increase the risk of neck and cervical spine injuries among skiers and snowboarders.
  3. Policies and interventions directed towards increasing and promoting helmet use should be promoted to reduce mortality and head injury in recreational skiers and snowboarders.

Level 3