Study: Alcohol, Skiing Dangerous Mix
A new study has found alcohol and skiing is a dangerous mix, injuring over a 1000 Britons every day.
The survey was done by insurer Direct Line, which combined survey results from 2,000 holidaymakers with a simulator experiment to assess how alcohol affects someone’s ability to ski.
The experiment required experienced skiers to complete runs on a ski simulator before they were given alcohol to consume and asked to complete the runs again.
The survey and experiment found,
- Skiers are 43% more likely to be involved in a crash after alcohol use;
- 3.8 million people reported injuries (over the past 5 years) on the slopes that were a direct result of alcohol use;
- The likelihood of crashing increased massively after consuming 6 units of alcohol;
- Consuming even 3 units of alcohol impacted skiers’ confidence and decision-making;
- 5.3 million skiers reported to consuming an average of 6.1 units of alcohol while skiing;
- About a million skiers reported to consuming over 10 units of alcohol while skiing;
- 42% of ski accidents caused due to alcohol impaired the skier for the rest of the trip.
Our practical experiment showed how just a small amount of alcohol can affect decision making. When travelling at 60 miles per hour, it only takes a split second to make a mistake which could cause a serious injury to either yourself or someone else on the slopes,” added Tom Bishop, head of travel insurance at Direct Line, as per the Independent.
Stating that the figures were alarming, Mr. Bishop advised skiers to refrain from alcohol use while skiing to avoid accidents to one self and others.