Do I need to wear a helmet snowbarding in France??

Hey guys I know this is completely un-related to kitesurfing, but do I need to wear a helmet in France when snowboarding. Im in Germany atm, but heading to France next week, and herd that in some countries u have to wear a helmet now by law. (If so, the law would have only just come in in the last year)???
Cheers Jessie
p.s. hope everyone is having warm weather and good wind back in Aussie... Id say im jealous... but had such a good day snowboarding today!

Even if it is'nt required by law, it could help reduce your chances of having to be fed through a tube / spoon, and to have wear a nappy for the rest of your life.

ask Liam niesens wife if helmets are a good idea

oh thats right she is dead after falling over on a beginners slope

most serious riders use helmets now

No requirement, but as a snowboarder who has gone from no helmet to helmet, the helmet option is always preferable. Especially if you get confident quick and decide to try some off piste tree runs.

Hope your turns are linking well and you are getting your carve on!

Like james and Burls said, Liam Neeson probably also has an opinion. Compare it to going kiting with a 16m in 30 knots while permanently attached to kite, might not happen but why the F@ck take the risk?
Here are some interesting facts that support and disprove the use of helmets!!

Skiing/snowboarding (11/05)

2004 number of fatalities* 45
Number of participants (in millions)** 12.2
Fatalities per million participants 3.69
Days of participation (in millions)* 56.9
Fatalities per days of participation rate (per million) .79

Has the introduction of helmets made any difference in terms of head injury and fatalities in skiing and snowboarding?
Helmet utilization in the U.S. is increasing by about 5 percent per year for the last several years. In the 2004/05, season the overall usage of helmets among the general public (skiers and snowboarders) was estimated to be 33.2 percent. It was higher among children nine and under at 66 percent; it was next highest among those over 65, at 46 percent. Only 19 percent of entry level skiers and snowboarders used a helmet versus advanced/expert at 45 percent. Among males, 35.2 percent used a helmet, and 30.4 percent of females wore a helmet.

According to Jasper Shealy, professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., who has studied ski related injuries for more than 30 years, recent research has shown that the use of helmet reduces the incidence of any head injury by 30 to 50 percent, but that the decrease in head injuries is generally limited to the less serious injuries such as scalp lacerations, mild concussions (Grade I) and contusions to the head, as opposed to more serious injuries such as concussions greater than Grade II, skull fractures, closed head injuries and the like. There has been no significant reduction in fatalities over the past nine seasons even as the use of helmets overall has increased to more than 33 percent, and to as much as 40 percent within the population at greatest risk—experienced young adult male skiers and snowboarders. The pattern of death seems to be affected by the use of a helmet. Most fatalities are due to multiple causes or injuries. Approximately two-thirds of those who die who do not use a helmet have as the first cause of death some injury to the head. For those who die while wearing a helmet, only about one-third have a head injury as the first cause of death. It seems that while the use of a helmet may shift the distribution of the first cause of death, it is not sufficient to reduce the overall rate of death. In incidents leading to death, it appears that the severity of the incident simply overwhelms the ability of the helmet to prevent death.

A good quality helmet is much more comfy & practical then a beanie, stops you goggle strap digging into your head

Wow, thanks for the responses!!
Ive been kiting 2.5yrs no helmet, and the only head injury was my board to my face. (Helmet would have been useless)
I tired my cousins helmet and felt it didnt help my side vision, and probably made my snowboarding worse as it was a weird sensation.
As to fashion, yep lots of people out there had em on and the helmets themselves look aws!
As to warmth, im a crazy ozzie that thinks its too warm out there while snowboarding and doesnt wear a beni or scalf and has the jacket open....
Thanks for the info, if I start busting jumps or swerving trees I think ill get one, but in the mean time ill just aim for the small soft children to break my fall....

Hi Jessie
Sometimes i snowboarding in France and is not obligatory to wear helmet.

The good news is that when you run into small soft children in Europe, the parents yell at you in another language, so it's easy to tune out.

A good rule of thumb: Learn to say 'sorry' in the local language before snowboarding.