Item: The human factor - lessons for avalanche education Title:
The human factor - lessons for avalanche education Proceedings:
Proceedings of the 1994 International Snow Science Workshop,
Snowbird, Utah, USA Authors: Doug Fesler and Jill Fredston,
Alaska Mountain Safety Center, Inc., Bruce Tremper, Utah
Avalanche Forecast Center Abstract: Avalanche accident
statistics have long shown that the majority of avalanches
catching people are triggered by people. While some accidents
are the result of not recognizing potential hazard, most
accidents occur because the victims either underestimate the
hazard or overestimate their ability to deal with it. Victims
tend to make critical decisions based on human desires and
assumptions rather than upon the integration of key pieces of
physical data. This paper addresses the importance of the "human
factor" in contributing to accidents and distills some lessons
and strategies for avalanche education. Keywords: fatalities,
avalanche accidents, accident prevention, avalanche