Apathy and arrogance put skiers at risk says InsureandGo
More than half of skiers and snowboarders (54%) – equal to 3.6m people – hit the pistes without getting lessons, according to research* from the leading online travel insurance provider InsureandGo (www.insureandgo.com), which is warning that apathy and arrogance are endangering skiers’ lives.
InsureandGo’s research found that 8% of skiers and snowboarders who don’t take lessons before they hit the slopes – equal to 284,000 people – simply said they “couldn’t be bothered”, while 2% gave the excuse that they don’t think ski instructors are any good.
Twelve per cent say they don’t think lessons are essential and another 12% say they’d rather teach themselves.
Meanwhile one in four (24%) – the equivalent of 868,000 people – claim they don’t take lessons because they are too expensive.
Although many of these people will be experienced skiers and snowboarders who have had lessons before, InsureandGo believes that approximately 150,000 of them are first-timers who will hit the slopes without any training whatsoever.
Only 28% of those surveyed said they don’t need lessons because their skiing is advanced enough that they don’t need them.
Perry Wilson, founder of InsureandGo, said: “These are really concerning figures which suggest that there could be a huge number of injuries and accidents on the slopes this year as untrained skiers come unstuck. Apathy and arrogance are not good reasons to avoid taking lessons – if you’re paying for a winter sports holiday, you really must ensure you’ve invested in proper training too. Untrained skiers also need to be aware they could be leaving themselves open to liability claims if they cause an accident or injure someone on the slopes.
“Skiing is great fun but the slopes must be respected, which is why we’re urging everyone going skiing to have proper lessons to ensure they are well-prepared for this fun but potentially dangerous sport.”
Reason for not getting skiing or snowboarding lessons |
Percentage of people who gave this as their reason |
Number of people this equates to |
My skiing / snowboarding is advanced enough that I don’t need them |
28% |
1,034,000 |
It’s too expensive |
24% |
868,000 |
Don’t feel lessons are essential |
12% |
426,000 |
I’d rather teach myself |
12% |
425,000 |
Couldn’t be bothered |
8% |
284,000 |
I don’t think the instructors are any good |
2% |
65,000 |
-ends-
Notes to editors
* Based on ICM research, 8th-10th January 2010, of 2,009 people.