Insurance company insists on helmets

Insurance company insists on helmets 

Monday November 5, 2012 - Courtesy of PlanetSki

Essential Travel has made wearing helmets on the ski slopes a requirement within the terms of its winter sports Insurance policies. There is no accurate data on the exact benefits of wearing a helmet but use has risen sharply in recent years.

Research by the travel insurance specialist claims that 77% of skiers and snowboarders wear a helmet.
It is a 15% increase since 2010.
In a survey the company says 73% felt that they should be rewarded for their decision to protect themselves by paying lower travel insurance premiums.

It is now mandatory to wear a helmet in order to benefit from the protection offered on all Essential Travel's Winter Sports Insurance policies. Skiers who do not wear a helmet will risk invalidating their policy.
"Whilst it is true that a helmet does not reduce all sports injury, it seriously reduces the risk of potentially fatal injuries. That alone warrants making wearing helmets compulsory, and we choose to completely support safety conscious skiers by rewarding them with reduced premiums and bonus discounts," said Stuart Bensusan, from Essential Travel.

There is though conflicting evidence about the safety benefits of wearing a helmet. In the USA helmet use has gone up 20% and head injuries have risen over 50%.

Many people believe a helmet offers far more protection than it actually does.
We have reported on the findings in this earlier report on PlanetSKI.