Skiing and More: How to Get Through the Winter Sports Season Uninjured

Preventive measures and proper insurance can contribute to more safety during winter fun.

The trend towards an active and healthy life leads to more people flocking to the alpine region year after year. However, the positive effect on health also has a downside, as winter sports accidents are often associated with serious injuries. VVO Secretary General Mag. Christian Eltner: "Alpine activities are very popular in our country. However, winter sports are also associated with various risks and dangers of accidents. Good preparation, cautious behavior, and proper insurance are essential to fully enjoy the winter fun."

Skiing Accidents Dominate

In 2024, 31,200 winter sports accidents were registered in the accident database IDB Austria of the Austrian Road Safety Board (KFV). A figure that corresponds to the average of recent years. Alpine skiing remains the discipline with the most accidents: With around 21,300 injured skiers, about 68 percent of all winter sports accidents occur in classic piste sports. In previous years, this number was slightly higher (2023: 22,800, 2022: 23,100), indicating a stable but still high frequency of accidents.

In addition to alpine skiing, snowboarding (2,200 accidents), sledding (1,500 accidents), and ice hockey (700 accidents) are also responsible for a significant portion of winter sports accidents. Together, these sports account for more than 10 percent of the total winter accident events. "Despite the most modern equipment and increased safety measures, it is evident: Winter sports still carry a considerable risk of injury. Prevention, adapted driving behavior, and awareness of one's own limits remain crucial factors in reducing the risk of accidents," says KFV Director Mag. Christian Schimanofsky.

"We Are Glad for Every Mission That Doesn't Have to Be Flown"

The high number of accidents challenges local emergency services year after year. "Many accidents on the ski slopes and alpine emergencies could be avoided: Lack of tour planning, lack of risk awareness, or overestimation of one's abilities are among the most common causes. We are glad for every mission that doesn't have to be flown or carried out," says Colonel Hans Ebner, BA, head of the Alpine Police in the Federal Ministry of the Interior and mountain guide.

Cautious Behavior Helps Avoid Accidents

With the start of the new season, prevention and emergency organizations are therefore appealing to all winter sports enthusiasts to pay attention to safety equipment and physical preparation and to be considerate of other winter sportsmen and women. Even though equipment and safety precautions for alpine sports have improved significantly in recent years, there is still a need for improvement in awareness. One's own behavior on the ski slope, sledding track, or in the terrain is a significant safety factor. In addition to good preparation, distractions should be avoided during sports activities, and full concentration should be directed to the events. If an accident does occur, it is important to secure the accident site as quickly as possible and to initiate the rescue chain via emergency call.

Secure Financial Consequences

In addition to the physical consequences, accidents that occur during leisure time are often associated with significant financial burdens. This is because, for injuries you sustain yourself, statutory social insurance only covers initial and acute care. But beware: After a leisure accident with a permanent impairment, you not only have to learn to cope with it, but also consider that the costs for follow-up treatments, necessary renovations, or financial losses due to disability are not covered by statutory accident insurance.

In connection with alpine accidents, covering rescue costs, mountain rescue operations, and recoveries by piste services is a particularly important issue. Especially a rescue by helicopter, which is charged by flight minutes, can quickly cost several thousand euros and is not paid for by health insurance. Helicopter transports can thus have an expensive aftermath without private accident insurance. "A private accident insurance should therefore be part of the basic equipment for everyone, but especially for winter sports enthusiasts. Because accident benefits through monthly lifelong pension payments often amount to several hundred thousand euros. However, only about half of the Austrian population is privately insured. There is still room for improvement here," explains Dr. Ralph Müller, Vice President of the VVO.

A private accident insurance closes the gap to statutory accident insurance by also covering the leisure area - worldwide and around the clock. The often drastic financial impacts of a leisure accident - such as income losses, coverage of due loan installments, ensuring the best possible care in case of permanent disability, payment of expenses for renovating the apartment or house, and much more - can only be mitigated by private accident insurance.

Tips on Alpine Accidents:

-Tour planning (avalanche report, weather, steepness of the terrain, tour length, group size)

-Carry emergency equipment (avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe, first aid kit, charged mobile phone, possibly airbag backpack)

-In case of an accident: Emergency call 112 (police) or 140 (mountain rescue control center) - Where is the accident location? What happened? How many people involved? Who is the caller?

-Provide first aid, protect from hypothermia,

(Red)

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