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From SIA Newsletter, April 2010
PROPOSED MANDATORY HELMET LAWS
North American resorts have been wrestling with the idea of making helmets mandatory while skiing and snowboarding, motivated by recent incidents including actress Natasha Richardson’s death, following a fall at the Mont Tremblant ski resort in Quebec. Some resorts have made it mandatory for all children and teens enrolled in ski and snowboard programs to wear helmets and also include helmets in all rental packages. Vail Resorts try to encourage younger skiers and riders to wear helmets by setting an example by requiring all employees to wear them while skiing or snowboarding.
In California two bills introduced by Democratic lawmakers Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco and Democratic state Assemblyman Dave Jones of Sacramento would require minors to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding. With Yee’s bill, parents would face a fine of up to $25 if their children didn’t comply. Jones’ bill would extend to resort operations and force the resorts to enforce the mandate. Resorts would also be required to submit extensive monthly injury and death reporting, sign posting and file annual safety planning.
If the bills pass and are signed into law, they would give California the nation’s most restrictive helmet laws for skiers and snowboarders and the most stringent requirements for ski resorts.
Lawmakers in New York and New Jersey also are pushing mandates for ski helmets. Felix Ortiz’s, D-Brooklyn, bill would compel resorts to “make (helmets) available to the public for sale or lease,” and require individual skiers and snowboarders to wear a helmet on the slopes.
State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky, D-Queens, issued a bill identical to Ortiz’s is thinking of resubmitting the legislation to restrict the mandate to children under age 14 – the current state cutoff for mandatory bicycle helmet use.
Ski areas and organizations in both states have voiced opposition to the bills.
According to SIA research, this season’s Helmet sales have already set records with 1.1 million units sold. Sales are up more than 25%, compared with the 2008.09 season, also a record setting helmet sales season.