Italy’s Government Consider Jailing Skiers and Snowboarders Who Trigger Deadly Avalanches

Italy’s Government Consider Jailing Skiers and Snowboarders Who Trigger Deadly Avalanches

According to the BBC, the proposals came after eight people died on Italian ski slopes last weekend.

The law could be in place by the end of the ski season and would also include a fine of €5000 for anyone caught ignoring warnings and skiing off-piste.

Off-piste skiing is where people ski away from or between designated trails and is becoming increasingly popular. The areas are often dangerous and unstable and this has resulted in an increased number of deaths.

Italian Tourism Minister Michaela Vittoria Brambilla recommended prison terms for the most serious offenders. He said “There have been far too many incidents on the slopes”.

Critics have dismissed this as an over-reaction and stated that there are already laws in place to deal with irresponsible skiers.

While I am not one to spoil anybody’s fun and accept that some people may want to go outside of the designated trails in search of a greater thrill, it is difficult not to be conscious of how the behavior of these skiers can affect other users of the slopes.  It is all well and good to decide that you are happy to accept the risks that come with skiing off-piste but an avalanche will affect the whole of a mountain, and therefore puts everyone else on the mountain at risk. 

In fact, the situation is not dissimilar to dangerous driving in that a person driving recklessly does not just put their self at risk; they endanger the wellbeing of other road users as well. Regarding those who say laws are already in place, it is clear that they are not acting as an effective deterrent in their current format and so maybe making the punishment more severe would lead to fewer people taking the risk and allow other mountain users the opportunity to use the slopes safely.