CATCHING AIR ON A SLED CAN BE RISKY

Several mornings in the last couple of weeks, as I was driving to the hospital, I found myself wishing that I had my old wooden toboggan sled. As a child, I also had the more traditional, steerable sled with the red metal runners but the toboggan was best because it was fast and its curled front end effectively diverted the snow. When I was in college and we would get a good snow students would go sled on the golf course or to the great hill in Stephen's Park. Although it was probably not very safe, the best sled on the slopes was the hood of an old Volkswagen beetle turned upside down to create the ultimate toboggan. Students would often pile five or six deep on this for the ride of their life. Fortunately, no one was ever injured! Millions ski, snowboard and sled every year and although these activities are surely exhilarating, they result in many injuries each year. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommend the following safety guidelines for sledding:

* Sled in designated areas free of fixed objects such as trees, posts and fences.

* Children in these areas must be supervised by parents or adults.

* All participants must sit in a forward-facing position, steering with their feet or a rope tied to the steering handles of the sled. No one should sled head-first down a slope.

* Do not sled on slopes that end in a street, drop off, parking lot, river or pond.

* Children under 12 years old should sled wearing a helmet.

* Wear layers of clothing for protection from injuries.

* Do not sit/slide on plastic sheets or other materials that can be pierced by objects on the ground.

* Use a sled with runners and a steering mechanism, which is safer than toboggans or snow discs.

* Sled in well-lighted areas when choosing evening activities.

Also, I will add an additional caution from my experience as a neurosurgeon.

The other day I heard my boys talking about "catching some air" while they were sledding. My 9-year-old told a story over the dinner table of "ramping" and getting six feet off the ground on his sled. Of course, I cautioned him, advising against this. The next day one of the nurses that I work with asked me to see her teen-age son who was sledding and "catching some air;" however, he reportedly went 20 feet into the air and unfortunately landed directly on his bottom, fracturing his spine in four places. This committed him to a hospital bed until he could be fitted with a back brace. Fortunately, he was not paralyzed.

So, the next time you rush out to the nearest slope with a sled or saucer keep these safety guidelines in mind and certainly do not follow the Volkswagen example since it is really hard on the paint and not very safe.

Safety on the Slopes

www.cdc.gov/safeusa/slopes.htm

This Web site from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives you tips for reducing your risk of being injured while skiing, snowboarding and sledding.

Sledding Safety

www.aaos.org/wordhtml/papers/position/sledding.htm

This site includes recommended safety guidelines from the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons.