The Role of Training in Recreational Avalanche Accidents in the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Avalanche education has become widely available in the United States, and yet trained recreationists continue to com-prise over a third of avalanche victims. Does avalanche education really make a difference? This study investigated the relationship between avalanche education and victim behavior in 344 recreational U.S. accidents, and found that victims with more avalanche training did in fact take fewer overall risks. However, all of the risk reduction in trained recreationists can be attributed to better miti-gation measures taken by these victims. None of the risk reduction appeared to be the result of trained groups exposing themselves to less hazard. In fact, victims with basic formal training exposed themselves to more hazard than any other group, including those with no awareness of avalanches. In light of recent findings in decision science, these results suggest that behaviorist and naturalistic teaching strategies would be effective in improving avalanche education.