Redion's 2018 Snow Plane

Carnival holidays 2018: figures and trends

• During the Carnival holidays (from Friday 9 to Thursday 15 February inclusive), Redion received 5,040 calls, with the traditional peak on Monday: 1,092 calls on Monday 12 February.
• Given the large crowds on the slopes and the good skiing conditions, the number of ski medical files opened in the Alps rose by 10% compared to 2017 for the same period.
• 40% of injured skiers are under 20 years old, and are mainly boys.
• As usual, injuries to the knees (35%), shoulders (21%), legs (8%) and wrists (8%) are the most common. Thanks to the wearing of helmets, head injuries were limited to just 3% this year.
• Beyond the 300 people (injured skiers and their families) already repatriated by Redion during the first 6 days of the Carnival week, 19 people were repatriated to Belgium on Friday 16 February aboard a "Snow Plane".
• The number of technical interventions to and within ski resorts rose by 17% compared to 2017.

Click here to view the infographic on Carnival holidays at Redion.

A higher number of accidents on the slopes

During the 2018 Carnival holidays, the slopes were busy, which led to a higher number of accidents.
Since December, it had snowed regularly in the Alps, sometimes heavily. As a result, skiing conditions were good to excellent. A large number of skiing enthusiasts therefore chose to enjoy their favourite sport during the Carnival holidays.

From Friday 9 February to Thursday 15 February inclusive, Redion noted a 10% increase in ski medical files in the Alps compared to 2017 for the same period.

As usual, Redion observed a peak in accidents mid-week. That's when skiers start to feel more comfortable on the slopes and let their guard down a little, while (muscular) fatigue sets in. This year, 13% of injured people had to be hospitalised.
Skiing accidents in the Alps mainly took place in:

1. France (57% vs 54% in 2017)
2. Austria (16% vs 23% in 2017)
3. Italy (15% vs 16% in 2017)
4. Switzerland (12% vs 7% in 2017)

This year, Redion also opened two files in Andorra, one file in the Czech Republic and one file in Romania.

Skiing and snowboarding injuries

Younger skiers (under 10 years old), increasingly numerous on the slopes, make up a third of the accident victims this year.

Young people aged 5 to 20 were mainly victims of injuries to the shoulders (32%), knees (16%) and wrists (12%). Head injuries among the youngest were limited to 3% (vs 5% last year). In the 11-20 age group, we see the types of injuries linked to the widespread practice of snowboarding.

4 out of 10 victims are under 20 years old. This is traditionally the largest group during school holidays. Two thirds of injured people in this age group are boys!

21-30 year-olds, meanwhile, suffer more specifically from skiing and snowboarding injuries: knees (47%), shoulders (13%) and arms (7%).

While young children and teenagers are more often victims of snowboarding accidents, 31-40 and 41-50 year-olds are more prone to skiing accidents. The same trend is seen among the over-51s. The most common injuries among 31-70 year-olds are directly linked to classic injuries: knees (44%), shoulders (15%), legs (10%) and ankles/feet (8%).

More technical interventions

Towards ski resorts, Redion recorded a 17% increase in the number of technical interventions. Since road conditions towards the ski resorts weren't too bad, this increase indicates that the number of holidaymakers on the roads to the Alps was higher this year.

Redion's 2018 Snow Plane

At the end of the Carnival holidays, Redion organises, as it does every year and has done for 40 years, a collective repatriation to safely and comfortably bring unlucky holidaymakers back to Belgium. An impressive operation, set in motion several months in advance by the assistance specialist since 1978!
From 9 to 15 February 2018, Redion repatriated more than 300 injured skiers and their families to Belgium, either for medical reasons or because the victim wished to return home directly. For people whose injuries didn't require urgent repatriation and who wished to stay on with their family, Redion offered them the chance to be repatriated aboard its Snow Plane.

This year, 19 unlucky holidaymakers boarded on Friday 16 February at Grenoble airport aboard Redion's "Snow Plane", specially chartered by Brussels Airlines to repatriate holidaymakers injured in French and Swiss resorts.