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Ski resorts across Europe are looking at the possibility of imposing speed restrictions on some slopes.





People are getting used to speed limit



This season Grindelwald, in Switzerland, has become the first resort to introduce a 30km/h speed limit on one of its runs and other resorts are watching closely.



A random survey of two dozens resorts by BBC News reveals all are looking at the experiment and some may now impose further speed limits in certain areas.



The issue has sharply divided the ski community; some welcome the safety move as long overdue while others fear it will severely curtail their freedom.



Speed kills



It follows a growing number of collisions caused by people skiing too fast as the slopes become ever more crowded. In France last season the number of collisions on the slopes went up 15% and included several fatalities.



Susanne Daxelhoffer from the area's Tourist Office told the BBC News website said the Grindelwald slope had been a great success.





Susanne Daxelhoffer says it is what skiers want



"We did it because that's what people wanted," she said.





"The project is based on complaints of people skiing too fast and therefore fulfils a need".



The slope in question is divided by safety netting and skiers opt to ski down an easy blue run with a 30km/h limit or go for a more difficult red slope without a restriction. A random selection of people I canvassed on the slope in Grindelwald all thought it was a good idea.



"It's particularly good if you have young children and want them to be able to ski without being hit by out of control skiers going too fast," British skier and father of three, Richard Slater, told me.



Angry reaction



However, not everyone welcomes the move and it has sparked a fierce debate on ski chatrooms on the internet. The Ski Club of Great Britain has more than 30,000 members and though many are broadly supportive others fear it will restrict their freedom.



One person has even threatened to give up skiing altogether if there are further restrictions. On another internet chatroom, Snowheads, feelings have been running just as high with many critical of new rules and regulations.



"Although on the surface it seems a good idea people should have the freedom to go as fast as they like as long as they are in control," says Iain Martin the director of Natives, the organisation representing British resort workers in The Alps.



"People want to live freely in the mountains not be told what to do all the time and if some resorts introduced speed limits people would just go elsewhere."



Safety measures



The development reflects the situation in America where dangerous skiers have their lift passes confiscated and people have even gone to jail for skiing out of control.





Fast skiers are warned but not fined



Many areas are patrolled by officials who keep people's speed down and there are slow areas with speed limits.



In Grindelwald those skiing too fast are not fined, just warned to slow down.



European resorts are undoubtedly paying more attention to safety with netting positioned to slow people down at busy junctions and safety rules positioned more prominently.



In Andorra security patrols have the power to take away lift passes from people skiing too fast and some Alpine resorts including, Val D'Isere, have patrols who look out for dangerous skiers.



As high speed lifts take more and more people up the slopes the pistes are getting more crowded. Next week is half-term across Europe and the slopes will be at their busiest with medical centres preparing for hundreds of casualties - some caused by speeding skiers.

[skiing rules]

arew u serious? skiing is freedom and thats taking away part of that freedom

[SkiCop]

Driving is freedom too, but with everything, if more and more people do it, you must have limits. They could prevent a lot of accidents by enforcing the already existant slow ski areas on the slopes around here. There is no need to fly down a green when there are blues and blacks to ski. I also think they should restrict who gets on a lift by their ability. Someone just out of the never ever lesson has no business on the steepest black on the hill. I see it every time I ski and it really chaps my hide. Think of it like this, by enforcing speed limits on the milder terrain and restricting access to the more difficult terrain, everyone wouldbe happier and safer. But, I wouldn't want one without the other.

[teledave]

So you should have different types of drivers licenses for in town, on the interstate, straight roads and curvy roads?

[SkiCop]

No just male and female.



We do have restictions on teenage drivers here in Alabama. The stats show that the accident rates for that age group have gone down. As a result of what is unknown, but they have gone down. They are resticted to the hours they can drive, no late nights, and the number of passengers they may carry. Less experienced = less freedom on the road = less accidents. It would work on our over crowded slopes too.

[teledave]

So what constitutes experience?



I just saw someone that just started riding last year rip most everything in UT, a lot better than some that had been doing for several years.

[SkiCop]

Maybe ability would be a better word to use in that instance. Usually the two go hand in hand, except in rare circumstances.

[SkiCop]

Look it's not a big deal and I could really care less, but it's not a stupid idea either. If they do it, we won't a say either way anyway. Would you rather ski Upper Omigosh at Cat without having to dodge bodies strewn all over the place like we did Saturday? Or witness two sled rides like we did Saturday? Skiing wrecks occur far more often than skiing accidents. If you are cruising along and a tree limb falls and hits you in the head, that's an accident. If someone out of control takes you out, that's a wreck, there's nothing accidental about it. Maybe all of this is just the cop in me coming out. Rules are my business. Over time the human animal has begun to lose any semblance of comman since that he once had. It seems that no one is responsible for anything anymore, just ask TNKen about some of his clients.

[bamapilot]

I agree with the idea that they just need to enforce the already "Slow" areas already used. You see to many people that don't even slow down or look up trail at crossing trails. In NC this is even worse because all trails go to the same place. There is no real seperation between capable and incapable skiers. Just the nature of the beast of the layouts of the NC resorts.

[teledave]

SkiCop, don't get me wrong. I too wish there was some way to get the people that don't belong on more advanced slopes off of them. However, I'm pretty much a libretarian when it comes to rules and laws, are these people hurting anyone more than themselves? In most cases they are not, in other cases they are and that is where the legal system gets involved. There are already laws in place that preside over skier to skier collisions, why do we need more?



PS: I'm an advocate of skiing fast and not turning your back uphill whenever you are stopped on the slope. That will pretty much protect you from the out of controllers. They are a fact of life everywhere, watch your back and be careful out there.