Should wearing a ski helmet be written in law?

Snowbird » Louise Tolzman watched as the rest of her family geared up Monday afternoon for some fun on the slopes at this Little Cottonwood Canyon resort. Two young sons, her husband and her father-in-law each put on a helmet.

“I know I should have one. I make the kids wear one, so I should as well,” said Tolzman, in Utah for a week of skiing from Portland, Ore. “I guess it has to do with a speed and risk thing. The kids are younger and they take a little more risks, and I don’t ski that often so I guess I don’t feel like I need one.”

The reluctance of Tolzman — and other snow enthusiasts like her — is in part behind proposed legislation in California, New York and New Jersey that would make it illegal in those states to ski or board without a helmet. Several of the proposed bills target only children; others are more far-reaching. In either event, such a law probably would have a tough time in Utah, where the wearing of a motorcycle helmet, unlike in California, remains optional.

“Helmets definitely make you safe, but shouldn’t people be responsible for themselves?” said 24-year-old snowboarder Kaitlin Elliott of Salt Lake City. “I have the right to be safe or not to be safe depending on the amount of risk I’m taking. I know I should wear one, and I have one, but it is, and should be, my decision.”

A proposal by California state Sen. Leland Yee, a Democrat from San Francisco who is a child psychologist, probably has the best shot at becoming law. His bill would require skiers and boarders under age 18 to wear a helmet with the responsibility of enforcement placed on parents.

Adam Keigwin, Yee’s chief of staff, said the bill was prompted by concerns from the California Psychological Association.

“They were seeing an uptick in the number of skiing-related accidents, especially among children, and with significant damages,” Keigwin said. “Simply having a helmet would have alleviated a lot of the damages in most cases and been less severe to almost nonexistent in other cases.

“We have heard from some parents who say they have a hard time getting their kid to wear a helmet,” Keigwin added. “If they have the force of the law behind them, their kid doesn’t have a choice but to wear one.”

Officials at Snowbird say the resort has a high rate of helmet use for both skiers and snowboarders, but would not mind seeing everyone on the slopes wearing one.

Statistics from the National Ski Areas Association show that 48 percent of skiers in the United States wear helmets, up from 25 percent in the 2002-03 winter season. The British Medical Journal reported in 2005 that helmets reduced the risk of head injuries by 29 percent.

“Some Utah resorts have mandatory helmets in their ski schools. We want to do everything in our power to make people safe,” said Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah.

Stanley Shulman, Tolzman’s father-in-law, has been wearing a helmet while skiing for more than five years. He thinks everyone should have one on whether or not they are shredding fresh powder in the backcountry or spending time on the bunny hill.

Shulman, 67, was skiing with his grandchildren at Snowbird this past weekend when an out-of-control snowboarder slammed into him.

“It was the worst I’ve ever been hit. I think he got me shoulder-to-head or head-to-head,” he said. “My helmet may have helped prevent injuries to my head.”