The recent and tragic death of actress Natasha Richardson resulting from head trauma incurred during a ski accident has stirred up the ongoing debate on whether or not wearing helmets while skiing should be mandatory. Quebec’s provincial coroner reports that between 1990 and 2008 that 39 people died on ski hills in Quebec. It does not specify how many of those were due to head injuries. The Canadian Institute for Health Information reports that from 2005 - 2006, 138 people across Canada (not including Quebec) were hospitalized as a result of a head injury incurred while skiing or snowboarding. It does not report how many died.

The unknown quantity is how many deaths would have been prevented by wearing helmets. With respect to Natasha Richardson, the buzz right now is that her untimely death might have been prevented if she had received medical treatment sooner; bringing to light that Mont Tremblant does not have an air ambulance service. The 2 ½ hour trip from Mont Tremblant to Montreal or the delay in getting emergency medical help for Ms Richardson may have ultimately been the nails in her coffin.

Currently there are no ski and snowboard helmet standards in Canada. Although a private member’s bill requiring all snow sport helmets sold in Canada to meet guidelines set by the Canadian Standards Association has been introduced, the government has not moved forward. One of the obvious problems is there is no certification or testing program available. The other is that the ski resorts are vehemently opposed to mandatory helmets. It would put them in the position of having to police their guests and they would be forced to provide a helmet rental service, which comes with its own set of problems, particularly cleaning, disinfecting, and maintenance.

It seems to me that we have chosen helmets as the rallying cry, but why are we ignoring the lack of medical attention and the absence of an air ambulance. Should we be as concerned as we are about mandatory helmets or should we be insisting that ski resorts have the availability of air ambulances?