Snow Sports Safety Quiz

The boots put stress on the knees, which can lead to injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This ligament is one of four that connect your thigh bone to your lower leg. An ACL injury can leave your knee unstable. Both beginning and advanced skiers can injure their ACL. Beginners are more likely to damage the ligament during a fall, when they flex their knees at the same time that their boots push their legs forward. Advanced skiers can injure the ligament when they are landing from a jump or trying to recover from a fall.

Injuries to the upper body make up about a third of all skiing injuries. The most common sites for upper body injury in skiing are the shoulder and collarbone. The thumb is also vulnerable to skiing injuries. Experts say the best way to avoid these injuries is to learn the proper way to use your ski poles. Also, don't strap your hands to the poles or use ski poles with a molded contour.

The binding tension is important because it governs when your ski will release from your boot. If the tension is incorrect, the ski may release too soon or too late, putting you at risk for serious injury. You should have your bindings, as well as your boots and skis, checked every year by a ski technician.

It's important to learn the basics of the slopes from a qualified ski instructor. You need to know how to stop, turn and remain in control when you ski. Once you've taken lessons, evaluate your skills before progressing to more demanding ski runs. Don't be swayed by others who want you to take a run that is beyond your capabilities. You must be able to remain in control on any slope you tackle and to stop if you need to.

Although you might not think that dehydration is a risk in winter, it can be a problem when exercising in cold, dry conditions. You should drink water before you start out, and rehydrate throughout the day, even if you don't feel thirsty.

Experts say the risk for injury is twice as high in the afternoon, because skiers are tired. A skier suffering from fatigue is less able to cope with obstacles on the run. Dehydration is a contributing factor to the increase in afternoon accidents.

Hamstring exercises help keep the knee stable, because they keep your lower leg from extending too far forward. Quadriceps exercises should be done, as well. Make sure your equipment fits you and is in good working order. Be cautious on the slopes. Don't ski when you are tired and don't try runs that are beyond your skills.

Almost half of snowboarding injuries occur during a person's first season of snowboarding. Beginning snowboarders are more likely to be injured than more advanced snowboarders, even though the advanced snowboarders try more dangerous moves. Falls are the leading cause of snowboarding injuries, followed by jumps. The most common cause of severe injury is running into a tree.

Because the feet are bound to the snowboard, the legs are less likely to be injured than the upper body. Less than one-third of snowboard injuries involve the legs. The wrists, elbows and shoulders are especially vulnerable. To help prevent injuries, you should wear wrist guards designed for snowboarding or inline skating. If you fall, don't break your fall with open hands; keep your hands balled in a fist and try to tuck and roll as you land. This will dissipate the force of the fall instead of concentrating it on just one area of the body.

A tight binding will put more force on your knees when you fall. A looser binding will help protect your knees, but will put you at risk for foot and ankle injuries. Experts recommend a looser binding for beginners, and a tighter binding for more experienced snowboarders. One study found that up to 15 percent of snowboarding ankle injuries involved a fracture of the talus, a bone in the foot. Talus injuries may be misdiagnosed as ankle sprains because they don't show up easily on an X-ray.

Head injuries are common in snowboarding accidents, when the head hits the ground at the end of a fall. The injury may be more severe if the snow is hard-packed or the surface is ice. Because beginners are more likely to fall than more experienced snowboarders, experts recommend that those starting out wear a helmet. Helmets are also important when racing and when snowboarding on unmarked trails to help prevent injuries when hitting obstacles.

Other safety tips for snowboarding: When you aren't on your snowboard, don't leave it in a place where it may become a runaway board. When turning, especially in a backside turn, check any blind spots.