School has been out for many this week and local hillsides have been covered with snow and ice – perfect for sledding, but a Carilion nurse urges sledders of all ages to think safety first. Tanya Trevilian is the pediatric trauma program manager at Carilion Children’s, she advises sledders to wear a helmet if the slope they are on is steep enough to lead to higher speeds. Winter Sports Safety TipsUse appropriate and properly-fitted sports gear to prevent or reduce the severity of injuries. For winter sports, this gear may include shin guards, mouth guards and especially helmets when they’re skiing, snowboarding or playing ice hockey. While we are unaware of any sledding specific helmets, any of these helmets or a CPSC bicycle helmet would be better than no helmet in many sledding accidents.