MORE TH>N travel insurance safe skiing advice

Over half a million Brits will unwittingly ski or snowboard at almost double the drink drive limit on their alpine getaways this ski season, putting their safety and the safety of others at risk, according to a new report by MORE TH>N travel insurance.

On at least one occasion on their week long getaways, 568,000 Britain's:

Will have seven units of alcohol still in their bloodstreams from the night before when they set off on their first morning runs - almost double the drink drive limit in the UK

Won't come back under the drink drive limit of four units until at least 11:00am.

With the average intermediate level skier travelling at up to 20mph on unimpeded runs, the threat of serious accidents is very real indeed - especially as most skiers and boarders have little more than a flimsy jacket to protect them if they crash.

Showing skiers and boarders ignorance of the issue, 74 per cent of those polled think drinking heavily the night before doesn't affect their skiing ability the next day - erroneously claiming the cool air clears their head.

After quizzing over 1,000 British skiers and snowboarders on their après-ski drinking habits, MORE TH>N worked with General Practitioner Harvinder Gill to calculate just how drunk people will be on the slopes this year during morning ski sessions.

With seven units of alcohol in their systems at 9:00am, Harvinder was able to demonstrate how skiers and boarders will be susceptible to the following:

Increased reaction times
Impaired balance
Reduced visual acuity, peripheral vision and glare recovery
Impairment of perception
Loss of critical judgement.

The results of the research will make bleak reading for sensible, sober skiers, as they also show how a large majority of the 2.5 million Brits heading for the slopes this winter are just as excited about the cocktails on offer in the local bars as they are the fresh virgin snow.  A headache inducing 45 per cent confess to planning to drink every single night.

Rounding off the national statistics, one third (31 per cent) of skiers wrongly believe their insurance will not be affected if they cause a serious accident on the slopes the morning after a heavy night on the booze. Breaking the data down, men are shown to be worse offenders than women, none more so than those in their mid-twenties from the North East.

Commenting on the research, MORE TH>N spokesperson Pete Markey said, "The findings of the research are extremely concerning - nearly 600,000 Brits will ski or board drunk at some stage this ski season which is not a small number. Brits abroad have a reputation for drinking to excess but throw a high-speed downhill sport into the mix and you have a very nasty combination.  Drink driving is severely frowned upon and drink skiing should be too - it can be just as dangerous'. 

To help British skiers stay safe on the slopes, MORE TH>N and Harvinder Gill are offering the following advice:

If you have a lot to drink and don't feel right the next morning, don't ski right away. Give the alcohol time to get out of your system and start skiing after lunch

If you are going to drink, decrease the pace. The faster you drink, the faster your blood alcohol concentration increases

If you do plan to drink on your skiing holiday, buy a mini pocket breathaliser and take it with you so you know when you're safe to ski (they're cheap and readily available)

Don't be fooled by thinking the ‘cool air will clear your head' - it won't. Cold temperatures don't affect alcohol absorption.

Be careful about what you eat. Eating a big meal will delay the absorption of alcohol, in some cases by as much as up to three times. The myth that food helps you to sober up isn't true.