Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sacramento -

California ski resorts would have to publish reports on how many people are injured or killed on the slopes, increase safety measures, and force minors and employees to wear helmets, under a new bill.

The proposal by Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, is largely opposed by the ski industry. It aims to establish across-the-board safety rules, including a standardized system for safety padding on lifts and other equipment. It would require signs marking ski boundaries and hazards such as cliffs.

Jones’ proposal also goes further than a ski helmet law introduced this month by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, which would mirror bicycle helmet laws and impose a $25 fine on parents whose kids fail to comply with the law. Jones’ proposal would require ski resorts to enforce the helmet requirement for minors and make it a crime for employees to fail to wear a helmet.

“There are a number of things that could be done to make this recreational activity safer,” said Jones, who is running for state Insurance Commissioner.

Bob Roberts, the executive director of the California Ski Industry Association, which represents major resorts in California and Nevada, said the legislation would put the resorts at a huge legal risk. He said the legislation was also unnecessary and unreasonable, noting that that resorts often don’t learn the true extent of skiers’ injuries because of privacy laws.

“We’re not in a position to do some of the things they would like to be done … ski patrols write up incident reports (of injuries) but they are not doctors,” Roberts said. “And we question why, when the state has a $20 billion budget deficit, they are paying so much attention to something that, when you talk to most winter sport participants, they know the risks and are comporting accordingly.”

Roberts said resort employees should not have to police whether minors are wearing helmets, and he said that most major resorts already have detailed safety plans. He said the industry is reticent to publish those reports online because “we live in a litigious state” but that consumers can request to see those safety plans.

The association supports Yee’s bill to make parents responsible for children wearing helmets.

A similar law, also authored by Jones, was killed last year after concerns arose about the cost. Jones said he is willing to work with legislators to ensure the bill does not burden the deficit-ridden state.

Here are a few other articles you might like:

1. Ski Helmet Law in CA makes another move forward
2. California trying again with Ski Helmet Laws
3. New Ski Helmet Bill Proposed in California by Senator Yee