L.A. COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH - Injury & Violence Prevention Program

Snow play activities in the southern California mountains are very popular in Winter and are only a short drive from various Los Angeles area communities. Before driving up the hill to your favorite snow spot, by reading the Driving Safety Tips, Proper Clothing Layers, and following the tips below will help you keep you and your family safe during snow play activities.

Safety Equipment: Whether using a sled, toboggan or disk, riders should always use proper safety equipment. The following equipment can be purchased at stores where snowboards and skis are sold:

Safety Equipment: Whether using a sled, toboggan or disk, riders should always use proper safety equipment. The following equipment can be purchased at stores where snowboards and skis are sold:

Helmet (select for link): When riding a sled downhill head first, you have a high risk of head injury. If your head is not protected and you crash into something solid like a tree or rock at 20-miles per hour, can be deadly
Gloves (select for link)
Proper Clothing (select for link)
Boots

Snow Disks:

Snow disks and plastic sliders are designed for upright use.
No one should ever ride while standing up.

Sleds/Toboggan:

Children age 5 to 9 are the most susceptible to sledding injuries; parents of young children should not let them sled alone.
Make sure the sledding path does not cross traffic and is free of hazards, such as trees, fences, rocks, wire or bare spots.
Check to see that the incline is not too steep or icy and that there is a level run-off at the end so that the sled can come to a halt safely. Teach older children to check for hazards
Do not sled on or around frozen lakes, streams or ponds. The best place to toboggan is a sledding hill in a park.
And lastly, NEVER hitch sledding equipment behind a moving vehicle. The results can be deadly

(Some information above obtained from the University of Missouri at Columbia, Safety Facts Sheets)

Proper Clothing Layers

Driving in Snow & Mountains

For more information please call (213) 351-7888