[Factors Associated with Safety Knowledge on Alpine Ski Slopes].

Background The jurisdiction after a winter sport accident including a third party fault considers the 10 rules for safe skiing/snowboarding introduced by the International Ski Federation (FIS) to clarify the question of liability. A previous study revealed that beginners, young skiers and those who were not local residents displayed insufficient safety knowledge in given situations. The aim of this study was to evaluate additional factors associated with safety knowledge on ski slopes, e. g. type of winter sport, helmet use, risk taking behavior, and a previous injury occurred on a ski slope. Methods People participating in snow sports were interviewed in March 2012 during 2 weekends in 5 Austrian ski areas, using a standardised questionnaire. Participants had to correctly answer 12 statements according to safety knowledge based on the 10 FIS rules. Results A total of 602 persons (67 % skiers) with a mean age of 32.8 ± 14.6 (Range: 8 - 77) years were interviewed. In total, 12 and 11 statements were correctly answered by 14 % and 25 % participants, respectively. A total of 19 - 38 % of participants did not answer those statements correctly, including appropriate behaviour on the ski slope (overtaking, priority, stopping, and adapting speed). Significant differences in safety knowledge were found with regard to the type of sport performed, gender, age classes, skill level, frequency of winter sport participation per season, and previous injury. Conclusion Safety knowledge in this study was significantly lower among snowboarders, females, the youngest age group, beginners, and persons without a previous injury.