Richardson's skiing accident raises questions about helmets

The tragic skiing accident that claimed the life of actress Natasha Richardson has raised questions about safety on the slopes, mostly about helmets.

Skiing, like all sports, has an element of danger. Statistics from the National Ski Areas Association show that the 2007-2008 season had 53 fatalities and 41 serious injuries for skiers and snowboarders.

The NSAA puts the rate of fatalities at .88 per million skier/snowboarder visits.

The same study estimates that 43 percent of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets in 2007-2008, a 40 percent increase from the previous year.

About 70 percent of children under nine wore helmets in 2007-2008, and 60 percent of kids between 10 and 14 wore them.