Take warning, citizens, for the death of sledding is upon us. That’s according to several national news stories chronicling a series of restrictions and bans issued by city councils against sledding in public parks. The restrictions are the local government response to the liability concerns associated with sledding; the fear that people injured while sledding may decide to sue the city. The Washington Post Wonkblog blames the “American love of lawsuits” for this war on winter, while the conservative Daily Caller believes this is a sure sign of the encroaching “nanny state.”
Many of these stories cite a 2010 study conducted by Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Center for Injury Research, which found that between 1997 and 2007 more than 229,000 children under the age of 19 were treated in US emergency rooms for sledding injuries. On average, more than 20,000 adolescents are injured while sledding every year.
But there are a number of other factors to consider. Like most things, sledding safety is all about location. While the study found “the majority of injuries occurred at a place of sports or recreation (52 percent) or on private property (31 percent),” sledding on a street or highway is more likely to send you to the hospital with a severe injury. One of the most dangerous sledding-related activities the study uncovered was the practice of using a motor vehicle to pull someone in a sled, a far cry the gravity-driven sledding most children take part in.
Sledding is still allowed in Columbus, but with some minor regulations. The rules and regulations for Franklin County Metro Parks states that “sledding, ice skating, and other winter sports activities shall be permitted only in designated areas and subject to posted operational policies.” The only sledding-related ordinance to be found in the Columbus City Code makes it a minor misdemeanor to pull a sled (or bicycle, coaster, roller skates or toy vehicle) behind a vehicle driving on a roadway.
So while you are safe to sled here, just make sure you’re sledding safely.
For ongoing discussion on this topic, CLICK HERE to visit our Messageboard.