7 Surprising Facts About Ski Deaths & Injuries

• The average skier death in CO is a thirty-seven years old experienced male skier wearing a helmet who loses control on an intermediate, groomed run and hits a tree.
• The majority of deaths — 54 percent — occurred on blue, groomed runs, while 31 percent were on expert trails.
• The increase in the number of people who wear helmets hasn’t resulted in fewer fatalities. Helmets are designed to protect riders at about 12 mph, while a skier or snowboarder who collides with a tree or another rider is typically going 25 to 40 mph.
• More than 80 percent of ski deaths in Colorado are men.
• Last season, 54 skiers and snowboarders died at ski areas within the U.S., which saw a total of 51 million ski visits, according to the National Ski Areas Association.
• Researchers at Johns Hopkins recently estimated that about 600,000 people nationally are injured each year as a result of skiing and snowboarding.
• Estimates are that about two injuries occur per 1,000 skier visits  — a decrease of 50 percent since the mid-1970s.