Helmet Safety

Helmets can help mitigate head injuries on the slopes. Bonus: they also keep your head warm! Not all ski areas require helmets, but it is a good idea to outfit your child with one, and wear one yourself. While wearing a helmet is a personal choice, you would be setting a good example for the young ones in your family if you chose to wear one while skiing or riding.

Helmet Stats

• Approximately 84% of skiers and snowboarders in the U.S. wear helmets
• Nearly 100% of kids age 9 and under wear helmets. Many ski areas include helmets in a kids' rental package, and some may even require children to wear one in a lesson (for example, the state of New Jersey requires all kids under age 18 to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding).
• A peer reviewed scientific study found that potentially serious head injuries in skiing decreased as helmet usage increased. Helmets have been found to reduce the severity of head injuries and almost completely prevent lacerations.

More Resources

Lids on Kids is a website dedicated to getting kids to wear helmets and emphasizing the importance of helmets in mountain safety. Check out the Helmets are Cool video series below from our friends at the High Fives Foundation. This series is part of the BASICS (Being Aware & Safe In Critical Situations) initiative. See how wearing a helmet changed the lives of skiers and snowboarders, and get help finding the right one for you.