The winter holidays are over, yet winter vacations are in full swing for those who love practicing sports that require snow and icy temperatures. Skiing and snowboarding are the stars of the season, but flying down a mountain at high speed on a board or a pair of sticks is not exactly safe.
Just in the 2017-18 season, 37 skiers and snowboarder fatalities were reported in the U.S., according to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), a slight decrease over the 2016-17 season that totaled 44 deaths. Although the fatality rate converts to less than one fatality per one million skier visits, it still represents an increase over the 10-year average rate of nearly 0.7 fatalities per million skier visits.
Of those who visit ski areas, about 75 percent are skiers and 25 percent are snowboarders. Last season. Skiers accounted for 28 fatalities compared to nine snowboarder fatalities. Moreover, 24 were male and three female, and approximately 84 percent of all skiers and snowboarders wore helmets. Besides high-quality equipment, attention and good luck, what can one do to stay safe while on the slopes?
Insured?
Health insurance is the first to kick in to cover your medical expenses in case you are injured on U.S. ground, depending of course on the specifics of your policy. Thus, if you need to get airlifted out because of a medical emergency, your health insurance might cover that, but you should check with your provider before you head out for the mountains.
Travel insurance is your safety net when your personal health insurance doesn’t cover all your medical expenses if you get injured abroad. You have to make sure though that your travel policy covers emergency medical assistance, such as being airlifted off the mountain after an accident.
Homeowners/renters insurance may kick in to cover some of the liability you incur if you accidentally injure someone else on the slopes. The same goes for renter’s insurance. Again, since every state determines differently ski accident liability, talk to your agent to understand what your coverage is.
Personal umbrella liability is something you can buy as extra liability insurance. it will cover some types of liability your homeowner’s insurance excludes, and will also cover higher payments, sometimes up to $1 million (homeowners is typically limited to $300,000).
