Skiers and snowboarders are most likely to be the victim of an accident late in the afternoon on an overcrowded blue run at the hands of a male with “Piste Envy”, according to a survey of European ski instructors carried out by the leading online travel insurance provider InsureandGo (www.insureandgo.com)1.
According to the findings, on-piste accidents are twice as likely to occur on comparatively easy blue runs as they are on difficult black runs. More than one in three (36%) ski instructors surveyed named a blue run as the scene of the most accidents in their resort. This was followed by 27 per cent who named a red run, 19 per cent who named a green run, and only 18 per cent who named a black run.
The biggest cause of accidents, named by two in three respondents (64%), was people pushing themselves beyond their abilities. This behaviour, where skiers or snowboarders push themselves beyond their capabilities because of jealousy of others’ abilities on the slopes, has been dubbed “Piste Envy”. Separate research2 from InsureandGo has found that one in four UK skiers and snowboarders suffers from this.
Fatigue was named as the second most common cause of accidents (45%), followed by people not taking adequate tuition (18%).
Cause of accident |
Percentage of ski instructors who named this as one of the most common cause of accidents |
People pushing themselves beyond their abilities |
64% |
Fatigue |
45% |
Not taking adequate tuition |
18% |
Being under the influence of alcohol after lunch |
10% |
Late in the afternoon was seen as the time of day accidents are most likely to happen according to three in four instructors (73%), followed by just after lunch (18%).
Accident black spots are usually so dangerous because they are frequently overcrowded, with 82% of instructors citing this as a major contributory factor. People’s skiing and snowboarding behaviour is of much more importance to creating accident-rich environments than the difficulty of the slope itself, with seven in ten (70%) respondents saying their local blackspot was partially caused by people tending to ski or board irresponsibly there, compared to just one in four (27%) who blamed the difficulty of the run.
Perry Wilson, founder of InsureandGo, said: “A large number of skiers and snowboarders have admitted to pushing themselves beyond their limits because of jealousy and these findings show how much of a factor this can be in causing on-piste accidents. Winter sports can be dangerous if they are not treated with respect, and medical bills resulting from mountain accidents can be very expensive. If you injure yourself, or if you injure someone else and you don’t have personal liability insurance, you could find yourself with a hefty medical bill.”
Dave Morris, Resort Manager of the New Generation Ski School in Courchevel 1650, France, commented: “More often than not accidents aren’t caused because a piste is too difficult or conditions are too tough, but because slope users are skiing too fast for their ability or their surroundings. Skiers and boarders should take proper tuition to improve their skill level but also to learn some awareness of others on the mountain and how they can minimise their chances of being in an accident.”
When asked which nationality of skier was most likely to cause an accident, the results were inconclusive, but the responses did throw up some revealing opinions about skiers and boarders from different European nations. Some of the observations expressed included:
- Italians have a tendency to ski and board too fast
- Britons, and especially British males, have a habit of showing off on-piste
- The French tend to overestimate their own abilities
- The Spanish often don’t take enough or any tuition
- Germans have a lack of awareness of those around them on the slopes
InsureandGo’s annual policies include winter sports cover automatically so they’re the perfect solution for those off to the slopes but who are also planning a break abroad in the summer. Kids under 18 are included free. InsureandGo’s winter sports policies cover off-piste skiing and snowboarding as well as activities including tobogganing and ice-skating.
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Notes to editors
1 InsureandGo surveyed 102 qualified ski instructors between January 21st and February 14th 2010.
2 ICM interviewed a random sample of 1005 GB adults aged 18+ by telephone between 5th -6th November 2008. Surveys were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Further information at www.icmresearch.co.uk