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Sledging safely

Sledging only really gets exciting when you can hear the wind whistling past your ears. But the higher the speed, the greater the risk of injury.

Around 7,000 people are injured sledging every year. There are crashes and collisions with other people, rocks, trees and even vehicles. According to the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (bfu) the most common injuries resulting from collisions are skull and brain injuries, fractures and other injuries to the legs, feet and body.

Here are a few tips to help you maximise your sledging pleasure while staying safe:

  • The ideal outfit for sledgers consists of sturdy boots with a good tread, winter clothing, gloves and a helmet.
  • Special plastic attachments which fit over your boots and have a spiky sole and/or heel can provide extra grip in icy conditions. These are available from specialist suppliers.
  • Leave your old wooden sledge at home and get yourself a new modern sledge (see picture). These are much easier to steer than the old-fashioned kind and therefore safer.
  • You should not lie down on your sledge facing forwards.
  • It is dangerous to join sledges together.
  • You should never go faster than your skill level and the external conditions safely allow.
  • It’s safest to use marked sledging runs. If there are no designated runs in your vicinity, try to find a slope with a flat run-off area.
  • Do not go sledging if you have been drinking.
  • Obey the bfu’s code of conduct for sledging.

31.01.2018

In the event of further health-related questions, SWICA customers can contact the santé24 telemedicine service free of charge on +41 44 404 86 86. A telemedicine practice licence allows santé24 physicians to provide additional medical services in cases that are suited to a telemedicine approach. SWICA customers can also use the BENECURA medical app to carry out a digital SymptomCheck and receive recommendations about what to do next. During a subsequent phone call with santé24, customers can decide for themselves whether to release their information from SymptomCheck to santé24.