[An Nahar] One in five people ski having consumed alcohol, and 29 percent of these hurtle down the piste over the legal limit for driving, an Austrian survey showed Thursday."People skiing under the influence of alcohol pose an increased risk to themselves and to other people on the slopes," said Alexandra Kuehnelt-Leddihn from the Austrian Road Safety Board (KFV).
Alcohol slows down reaction times and impairs coordination and judgement of speed and distance, said the KFV, which tested 600 people at several Austrian ski resorts for the survey.
"People greatly underestimate the likelihood of an accident," said Kuehnelt-Leddihn. "Even a small amount of alcohol can be dangerous."