Middle Tennessee ERs Face Sledding Injuries: How To Stay Safe

NASHVILLE, TN -- Between last week's icing, the weekend, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday and the aftereffects of this week's snow storm, many Middle Tennessee students have been home from school for a week. Cabin fever is rarely dangerous, but all that pent-up energy is often expended via sledding down snow-covered slopes.

And sledding can be dangerous indeed. The emergency room at Monroe Carrel Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt has treated at least 15 sledding-related injuries this week, WKRN reports.

The hospital offers an extensive list of tips for a safe and fun trip down the hills.

First, pick a safe location, which, no matter what, should not include a roadway. Instead, find a clear path free of trees, rocks, fenceposts and other hazards that is unlikely to be crossed by cars or pedestrians. The sled run should end in a flat area to slow the sled safely.

VUMC suggests sleds with a steering mechanism and runners rather than snow discs, because the latter are more difficult to control and more likely to be damaged or overturned by objects. The hospital urges kids wear helmets and extremely warm clothing. In the South, in particular, snow is often heavy and wet and that can make children colder than dry and powdery snow.

In addition, VUMC says:

1. Always sled with an adult present
2. Always sled with the right amount of passengers recommended for the product
3. Always sled feet first rather than head first
4. Keep sleds unattached from each other, or from other vehicles.
5. Practice stopping and turning the sled using your feet beforehand.
6. Always sit facing forward, never on your stomach.
7. Take turns. Don’t start sledding if someone else is in the pathway.
8. Don't sled off the designated course.

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