Accidents pile up: Tobogganing carries the danger with it

While in adults, especially leg injuries are the result of toboggan accidents, in children, the head is primarily at risk. Therefore, wearing a hard hat can be life-saving. Otherwise, bring reflective tapes on hands.

In Tirol, an average of 300 people injures each other while sledding so hard that they have to be treated in the hospital.

The sledding accidents of last week in Tirol and South Tirol were shown how quickly a harmless winter fun can turn into bitter and sad seriousness. A particularly tragic end took, as reported, a sleigh ride on the Bitten, in which a mother with her eight-year-old daughter hit a tree. The woman was seriously injured, the child was dead on the spot. In Mature on New Year's Day, a 60-year-old woman had hit a lantern and suffered leg injuries as well as a 30-year-old German a day later in Virgin when he drove against a wooden gang. On Thursday afternoon, a seven-year-old girl from Italy finally injured her back after losing control of his sled on a sledding hill in Seinfeld.

While in adults especially the lower extremities are particularly endangered in toboggan accidents, it is the head of children, says Claudius Thomism, director of the Univ.-Clinic for Neurosurgery in Innsbruck. "When tobogganing, you can easily reach 30 to 40 kilometers per hour. However, if you hit your head against a stationary obstacle, then 15 to 20 km / h can be dangerous. "The reason for this is the enormous forces acting on the skull during an unrestrained impact. "The brain is suddenly decelerated quickly. And because of these forces, the brain can tear itself in, "explains Thomism. Hemorrhages between the meninges and bones can also lead to delayed complications leading to death. The helmet should, therefore, be standard equipment for tobogganing for adults, but especially for children, says the physician. Finally, this distributes the impact forces on a larger area and thus protects the underlying head. "I'm not usually a big friend of duties. But sledding would make me want to wear helmets, "says Thomism.

How important the right equipment, and especially the wearing of a helmet while sledding is, it is also referred to the Board of Trustees for traffic safety. One should not understand tobogganing as a child-friendly winter program, but as a thoroughly demanding sport, which also depends on the right steering and braking technology.

For an accident-free tobogganing pleasure, the Austrian Alpine Club recommends sturdy shoes next to the helmet and a headlamp and reflective clothing with reflective materials in the dark. On toboggan runs, you should do without plastic bobs.

Police appeals: "Leg from gas"

Jelenia Góra Police appeals for special caution on the road because the conditions on the road from yesterday are very difficult. Drivers 'leg out of gas'. On many roads, it is always slippery. Remember to adjust the speed to the conditions on the road. Remember the safe distance between vehicles, because "hovering" on the back of another car is almost a classic case of road accidents.

Only on January 2, there were 16 collisions on our roads, the main cause of which was the failure to adjust the speed to the conditions on the road and moving to the back of another vehicle. Fortunately, nobody suffered serious injuries.

Pedestrians should also take special care when crossing the road because most often pedestrian accidents occur in autumn and winter, when the dark falls earlier, visibility is reduced, it is slippery. Often walking along the side of the road in dark clothing is virtually invisible to the driver. In such conditions, the driver notices him at the last moment and it is usually too late to react and avoid the deduction, and in the clash, with the car, the pedestrian has no chance. However, many tragedies could be prevented if the pedestrian had even a small reflective material. Remember that the driver sees a person moving along the road from a distance of several dozen meters - it is enough, however, that the pedestrian will wear a reflective vest with reflective tape and it becomes visible from a distance of 120-160 m. The reflector can save human life. Reflectors give drivers valuable time to take the right reaction - often saving health and life.

We appeal for a reason on the road. Keep safe distances between vehicles, because "hitting" the back of another car is a frequent cause of traffic incidents. Let's take care of our own and other road users' safety.

17,500 safety vests in the whole of Upper Austria

17,500 warning vests will be distributed free of charge to all new school beginners at the beginning of school. Safety vests increase the visibility many times over. In addition, the children are taught the correct behavior in road traffic at the traffic education days. With this interdisciplinary initiative, Family Reporter Vice-Governor Manfred, Infrastructure Minister Günter and Security Councilor Elmer support the safe way to school.

Even if the way to school is practiced in the weeks before school starts, the road traffic still holds many dangers. Childish cockiness, great urge to move, distraction and lack of judgment of unfamiliar road traffic create additional risks for the children.

"Visibly safer" on the way to school and at leisure

Many accidents could be avoided if the children were more visible to motorists. Especially in autumn in the rain, morning twilight and darkness often clothes to a uniform and dangerous gray. 17,500 children's warning vests are provided free of charge to all Upper Austria freshmen in the first weeks of school. The West is distributed by the police in the context of in elementary schools directly to the children.

Also, traffic education needed

Wearing a safety vest increases visibility many times over but is only part of the solution. In addition, it is necessary that the children be sensitized to the lurking danger and the correct behavior is practiced on the way to school. And not only on the way to school, but the safety vest should also be worn, even in their free time better visibility minimizes the risks of an accident.

Joint initiative

"Even though parents practice the way to school with their children exemplary and diligent in the last weeks before school starts, the children are often still unable to assess the danger of the roads. Reflective safety vests with reflective materials should be a constant companion for the children so that the children are seen by motorists and other road users as soon as possible. With the safety vests, we make a valuable contribution to the prevention of child accidents, "They agree and thank the cooperation partners for their support.

"Prevention priority"

The AUVA has supported the warning vest campaign of the province of Upper Austria for many years. "Prevention in the workplace and in training is the primary task of the AUVA as statutory accident insurance. With our targeted campaigns, we focus on raising awareness of hazards and building and strengthening safe behavior and risk competence. Especially with children, their protection is essential. "says Marina, director of the AUVA and the UKH Linz.

The offspring and the safety of the children are also very close to the hearts of Wiener and HYPO. Of course, Günter, Country Director of Wiener and HYPO General Director Andreas, is gladly supported.

Appeal to the parents

OÖ Civil Defense President Michael Hammer appeals to the parents, with the children in advance to practice the way to school, "to inform them about possible dangers and to discuss the most important security rules. Traffic safety is also an important topic in the context of the Civil Protection Child Safety Olympiad for the third and fourth elementary school classes. For the adults, and especially for the elderly, we offer reflective tapes and point out in our brochure "My safety" on the important visibility in traffic. "

Of course, the police like to support the warning vest campaign: "The traffic educators are happy to take on the task of distributing the safety vests. As a result, optimally equipped young schoolchildren are sent to school on their way to school. "said Colonel Klaus.