Alcohol on the slopes: 200,000 skiing in Austria!

Alcohol on the slopes: 200,000 skiing in Austria!

In the Austrian mountains, many winter sports enthusiasts are not only the snow as an experience, but also a cool drink on the slopes. Estimates of the Board of Trustees for Road Safety (KFV) show alarming figures: Around 200,000 people are alcoholized every year when skiing. A survey showed that 23 percent of the respondents openly granted to consume alcohol in winter sports, while 39 percent even believe that other skiers could be alcoholic due to their risky driving style. Johanna Trauner-Karner, the head of the KFV, warns of a high number of unreported cases among the 77 percent who have not given alcohol consumption, which makes the estimates even more explosive, as Bild.de reported.

risks when skiing under the influence of alcohol

The dangers are significant: alcohol lowers the speed of reaction and can affect the field of vision, which significantly increases the risk of collisions. The board of trustees therefore advises you to consume non -alcoholic drinks and light dishes during the break to ensure safety on the slopes. Every year, around 30,000 people have to be treated in the hospital due to slopes accidents, although it remains unclear how many of these incidents are due to alcohol. A latest example is a 32-year-old alcoholic snowboarder from Rhineland-Palatinate, who fell into a ditch in a Tyrolean ski area and fell asleep. Fortunately, he was found in time, as orf.at reported.