If you are planning on heading to the slopes of Italy, then you are now legally required to buy winter sports insurance, if you do not then you can face fines. These new rules have been implied since the 1st of January 2022. You now have to make sure that you have third-party liability insurance, which will cover claims against you for any injuries caused to another person and even their property. They now have the authority to be able to check whether you have this or not, so it is important to make sure that you are covered.
Cover can be obtained via Sports FS, as they specialise in providing cover to people who take part in high-risk sports such as snowboarding and skiing. With years of experience, they are able to help you obtain the right cover, so you can get on the Italian slopes. Italy is the very first country to put these policies in place, if you fail to comply with the rules you can be fined between £85-£125 and will have your ski lift pass taken away from you.
Ski resort operators now are obliged to offer liability insurance, to anyone who purchases a ski pass. However, it is recommended that you buy it beforehand, as a lot of the time this can work out cheaper. The resort sold policies are known to cost around 2-3 euros a day, but shopping around beforehand can result in cheaper prices.
Another law that has now been brought in is that helmets are now compulsory to be worn for anyone under the age of 18 years old. Due to injuries on the slopes being so common, especially head injuries. Concussion makes up about 20% of skiing and snowboarding injuries, this rule is with the aim to try and reduce this percentage. All helmets must conform to the most recent EU certification guidelines.
Winter Sports Cover Explained
There are an estimated 30,000 accidents on the slopes of Italy in the past years, which has meant 1,500 of them required a hospital visit, with 20 of those becoming dead. A quarter of skiers and snowboarders fail to buy any type of specific cover for their winter sports trips.
A standard travel insurance policy is not fit to cover you if you are skiing and snowboarding, having winter sports insurance will allow you to be covered for any other added risks, offering even greater protection when you are on the slopes.
Every insurer will have specific sports that they will cover and some that they won’t, thus you always need to compare travel insurance and check your policy carefully before going ahead. A good insurer will protect you from many different things such as medical costs, lost luggage and any cancellations.
