Sledging safety advice for Devon schoolchildren

With thousands of schools closed across the United Kingdom today, RoSPA has some top tips for children heading out into the snow with their sledges.

With thousands of schools closed across the United Kingdom today, RoSPA has some top tips for children heading out into the snow with their sledges.

RoSPA's advice is:

Take time to consider your choice of sledging location - somewhere with deep snow and no obstructions such as trees, fences or rocks is the best

Avoid sledging near roads, pavements or water (whether it is frozen or not)

Make sure you have plenty of room at the end of the run to slow down and stop

Walk up the slope first - it will help you spot hazards, realise how steep the slope really is, and check whether there is enough stopping distance at the bottom

Try not to travel head first

Consider other people who are using the slope

Only go sledging in the daylight

Wrap up warm, wear gloves and remember that skateboard, cycle and ski helmets and skateboard pads double up well for sledging

If you're making your own sledge, think about the "what-ifs" if you were to crash - are there sharp edges which you could cut yourself on etc.?

Peter Cornall, RoSPA's head of leisure safety, said: "Schools are closed across the country and going sledging is a fantastic way for children to get out and about to experience the wintry weather. We're just reminding them of some simple tips which should help them have fun while also staying safe."

Yesterday, RoSPA advised people not to walk out on to the ice of deep frozen waterways, to prevent the type of drowning deaths seen during previous cold spells. See www.rospa.com/news/releases/2010/pr756_05_01_2010_water.htm