The Human Factor in Deadly Avalanches | Most victims trigger their own slide. Why?

 

The more we know about avalanches the better. As well-prepared as most are that venture into the backcountry its human behavior that is just as hard to predict as mother nature. The New York Times – aka the best boardsports website out there today – looked into it and backed it all up with science. The continued studying of minute snow developments will still save some lives over the next decade, but understanding the type of people who are most at risk, the decisions they make, and why could save thousands.

 

Scientists have a good grasp on how weather and terrain contribute to avalanches. Research suggests avalanche forecasts have about an 80 percent accuracy rate. But human activity is a huge — and unpredictable — factor in avalanches.

“Avalanches aren’t just acts of God,” Dr. Hendrikx said. “About 90 percent of avalanche victims trigger the avalanche themselves.”

These accidents are rarely a result of ignorance. People traveling in the backcountry usually understand avalanche forecasts and know how to read the terrain. What they are unaware of, Dr. Hendrikx believes, “is how they make decisions in a group, under different settings and different pressures.”

 

Click over to The New York Times for the feature Searching for the Human Factor in Deadly Avalanches