Sledding- a beloved winter pastime, banned.
Common injuries caused by the time-honored winter activity, however, have led some cities in the Midwest to place a ban on sledding.
The following written content by Lauren Fox
As snow piles up in yards and parks across the United States this winter, many children will be hitting their neighborhood hills to sled on their days away from school. Common injuries caused by the time-honored winter activity, however, have led some cities in the Midwest to place a ban on sledding.
According to a study from The Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, more than 20,000 Americans younger than age 19 receive treatment for sledding-related injuries each year.
Some cities in Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana have banned sledding on steep hills in recent years. Other municipalities have posted warning signs cautioning people to sled at their own risk.
Dubuque, Iowa, is among the cities that have banned the pastime in previous years. In 2015, the city council voted to ban sledding in 48 of the city’s 50 public parks. Violators at the time would risk a fine of $750.
Des Moines, Iowa; Montville, New Jersey; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Columbia City, Indiana; all imposed sledding restrictions in recent years, according to The Kansas City Star. Lincoln, Nebraska, has since lifted the ban.
“Sledding is a time-honored tradition in cities that have hills (but) sledding is a risky activity,” the Dubuque city manager wrote in a letter in 2015, TODAY reported at the time.
The cities began taking action against sledding after some high-profile lawsuits involving sledding accidents were filed in recent years. Some have cost the cities millions of dollars in settlements, including cases against Omaha, Nebraska, and Sioux City, Iowa, TODAY reported.
“Even in the places [where sledding is] banned, we are going to see people trying to enjoy this activity,” Maureen Vogel, director of communications for the National Safety Council (NSC), told AccuWeather’s Emmy Victor. “We just want to make sure if that’s the case that people are doing it as safely as they can.”
The most common injuries caused by sledding are concussions, broken bones and frostbite, according to the NSC. Injuries can be prevented by wearing helmets, dressing warmly and sledding feet first. Read more from Accuweather.
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