In late December 2013, world-renowned F1 racer Michael Schumacher was enjoying a day of skiing with his son in the French Alps. On what would be his last run of the day, Schumacher left the groomed portion of the trail to ski in an off-piste area littered with rocks just underneath the surface of the snow. He fell, hit his head on a rock, and ended up in the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Schumacher's accident is not unusual in the world of Alpine skiing. People fall and seriously injure themselves quite frequently. What makes his experience noteworthy is the fact that his helmet broke apart upon impact, partially resulting in the seriousness of his head injuries. Some are speculating that his helmet was weakened by the mounts used to attach a camera to it, leading to serious questions about whether or not helmet-mounted cameras are a good idea in such a dangerous sport.
Multiple Questions
Ten months after the accident it appears as though neither the ski resort nor the manufacturers of Schumacher's equipment will be held liable. An investigation has revealed the off-piste area was properly marked according to regulations; as for the equipment, tests indicated no structural defects or material faults. So now the question goes back to the camera. Actually, there are two questions.
The first question is whether mounting the camera on the helmet weakened its physical structure, causing it to break apart upon impact. A basic understanding of physics suggests it is plausible. The second question is one of whether or not the mounting screws used to attach the camera to the helmet could have been driven into Schumacher's skull if he struck the rock at just the right angle.
Schumacher's family believes the camera is to blame. Officially, we may never fully know the answers to either question. That's the issue about accidents of this nature. So many things have to come together to create a perfect storm of circumstances that can cause devastating injuries in what would normally be a minor accident. However, one thing is for certain: skiers are rethinking the necessity of attaching a camera to a ski helmet. The once popular cameras have lost quite a bit of their luster since Schumacher went down.
