Ski Helmets

It was very disappointing to read “Skiers Cool to Advice on Helmets” (Jan. 12) and learn that even a special education teacher would be blind to the value of a ski helmet. The dangers of the slopes are not always of one’s own making, but may be caused by collision.

I am an experienced, rather slow, intermediate skier, cautious almost to a fault, yet I was struck by a medium-sized child who came from nowhere and flung me into a tree. My good fortune was that he was smaller than I. Had he been a large, out-of-control snowboarder, I would probably be dead. I have since bought a helmet and wouldn’t ski without it. I have just returned from a ski holiday and am happy to see more and more skiers wearing helmets.

The point is that yes, skiing is a risk. Life is a risk. Safety measures do not guarantee that we will survive, but they increase the odds. That is why we wear seat belts, bike helmets and ski helmets and avoid fly-by-night airlines.

PATRICIA L. MOORE

Westwood