Where to Ski And Snowboard -

A simpler safety code

22nd October 2009, by Chris Gill

Skiing safely

We’ve been concerned for years about the increasing danger of collision on the piste, especially in Europe where the pistes are often crowded, and the hooligans are more numerous. Recent reports from readers that those involved in collisions and near-collisions don’t seem to understand the “rules of the road” got us thinking, and in the editorial of the new edition of Where to Ski and Snowboard, we launched a campaign for a simpler alternative to the standard 10-point FIS code. What we came up with was a four-point code, quoted below.

Slightly to our surprise, we have now discovered that the American ski industry has for 40 years been operating a slightly simpler code than the FIS one. This, too, is reproduced below.

The WTSS four-point safety code

You must always:

Retain control, so that you can stop safely when necessary

Keep well clear of people below you, whatever their actions

Go to the side of the run when stopping or walking

Avoid the path of others when moving off

Your Responsibility Code – the US ski industry approach

1. Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.

2. People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.

3. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.

4. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

5. Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.

6. Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.

7. Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

Do we need rules 5, 6, and 7?

As you’ll see, the first four rules of the American code are extremely similar to our four rules. We concede that the “joining a trail” bit is something we had overlooked in our rule 4. On the other hand, the injunction in the American rule 3 to not stop where you “are not visible from above” is tricky to interpret and apply, and blurs the very responsibilities that we are attempting to clarify.

The real question, we reckon, is whether adding rules 5, 6 and 7 is sensible, all things considered. Clearly, they are sound in themselves. But having seven rules is a lot less crisp than having four. And you could add any number of rules that will help people stay safe – don’t tackle runs that you can’t ski safely; don’t go out without goggles if the weather isn’t settled; make sure your bindings are set correctly; and so on.

So we’ll stick to our four-point code (with the “joining a trail” concept added), and continue to push for its adoption.

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• safety
• code
• collision

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