Position Statement

Sledding Safety

This Position Statement was developed as an educational tool based on the opinion of the authors. It is not a product of a systematic review. Readers are encouraged to consider the information presented and reach their own conclusions.

Every year, thousands of youths and adults are injured sledding down hills in city parks, streets and resort areas. In 2003, hospital emergency rooms, doctors’ offices and clinics treated 91,086 injuries related to sleds, toboggans, and inflated or plastic tubes and disks used in sledding, according to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The medical, legal, work loss and pain and suffering costs were more than $1.89 billion. Injuries include sprains and strains, dislocations and bone fractures to the arms and legs, as well as facial injuries and trauma to both the head and spine.

More than half of the injuries were sustained by youths under the age of 20. Younger children have proportionally larger heads and higher centers of gravity than adults.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends the following safety guidelines to improve sledding safety:

• Parents or adults must supervise children, while sledding, at all times.
• Sled only in designated areas free of fixed objects such as trees, posts and fences.
• Do not sled on slopes that end in a street, drop off, parking lot, river or pond.
• All participants must sit in a forward-facing position, steering with their feet or a rope tied to the steering handles of the sled. No one should sled headfirst down a slope.
• To protect from injury, it is important to wear helmets, gloves and layers of clothing.
• Do not sit/slide on plastic sheets or other materials that can be pierced by objects on the ground.
• Use a sled with runners and a steering mechanism, which is safer than toboggans or snow disks.
• Sled in well-lighted areas when choosing evening activities.
• Individuals with pre-existing neurological problems may be at higher risk for injury.

© February 1997. Revised June 2005 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
This material may not be modified without the express written permission of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons^®.

Position Statement 1137

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