Many fatal ski accidents in Austria: lack of "ski fitness" - experts with urgent appeal

Created: 03/01/2023 17:10

By: Miriam Haberhauer

There have been numerous fatal skiing accidents this winter.

Austrian experts are now appealing to winter sports enthusiasts.

Innsbruck – Many winter sports enthusiasts had to do without skiing holidays for three years because of Corona.

The euphoria among skiers is therefore often high now.

But carelessness and a lack of skills quickly lead to carelessness and accidents.

The Austrian Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety (ÖKAS) is therefore making an urgent appeal to all skiers.

Numerous fatal piste accidents: ÖKAS appeals to skiers

Fatal accidents happen again and again on ski holidays.

In Tyrol, a 28-year-old Dutch woman had a fatal accident on New Year's Day, a few days earlier a 12-year-old had come off the slope and crashed into a tree.

In order to be able to better prevent such accidents in the future, the ÖKAS made an urgent appeal to skiers.

There is often a lack of "ski fitness", ÖKAS President Peter Paal told the Austrian news agency APA.

After the Corona years, many people are even less practiced in winter sports than before.

If you then go on the slopes, there is a risk of misjudging your own ability.

“The best Formula 1 car is of no use if the driver is bad.

And when it comes to skiing, you have to say: The pilots have gotten worse,” said the ÖKAS President on Tuesday.

Winter with little snow: additional risk potential

At the same time, the Austrian spoke out against slope closures due to accidents.

Despite the lack of snow in the winter, the slopes are well prepared.

Anyone who goes on a skiing holiday should also be able to master artificial snow slopes and adapt their skiing style accordingly, says Paal.

The snow-poor winter brings an additional danger for winter sports enthusiasts: skiers who get over the edge of the piste cannot cushion their falls with the snow masses.

Such situations are increasing - on the one hand due to the weather, on the other hand due to skiers' overconfidence and increased speed.

Slope operators not obliged: "It is not usual to set up more than B networks"

Since November 1, 2022, a total of 13 people have died in Austria's ski areas, eleven of them in Tyrol.

Among them were two German youths aged 17.

The two Germans are also said to have fallen down an abyss at high speed over the edge of the runway.

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Slope operators only have to take precautions against those dangers that winter sports enthusiasts cannot expect, said the President of the Austrian Alpine Club and lawyer, Andreas Ermacora, to ORF Tirol.

However, many of the fatal accidents are the fault of the skiers themselves.

"If you go over the edge of the slope and hit a tree, it's very tragic, but you can't blame the slope operator for it," says Ermacora.

"Setting up more than B-networks is actually not common and is not required by the case law," the Alpine Club President continued.