Sleds
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Sports & Recreation Equipment · CPSC Code 1217
Down 11% over 5 years
The verdict
Sleds carry a danger score of 39/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 18,386 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 11% over the last five years.
- 39/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 18,386
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 5.0%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1217 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 39/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for sleds - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume18,386 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)5.0%
- Fatality rate0.01%
- 5-year trend-11%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Sleds (CPSC product code 1217, in the Sports & Recreation Equipment category) generate an estimated 18,386 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 367,720 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 39/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 11% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2007 (42,345 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2023 (6,134 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for sleds is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 28,458 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the face (20,912 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 187,712 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 5.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.01%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 5 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how sleds fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 13,876 | 8,868 | |
| 5-14 | 110,357 | 77,355 | |
| 15-24 | 37,303 | 34,634 | |
| 25-34 | 15,256 | 20,618 | |
| 35-44 | 14,777 | 13,320 | |
| 45-54 | 7,360 | 6,095 | |
| 55-64 | 2,063 | 2,939 | |
| 65-74 | 1,139 | 1,103 | |
| 75+ | 266 | 391 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Leg | Fracture | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Shoulder | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Ankle | Fracture | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
8YOM PRESENT TO ED C/O LIP LAC AFTER SLIDING EARLIER TODAY,WAS CLIMBING BACK UP THE HILL SLID FORWARD HIT L UPPER LIP ON EDGE OF PLASTIC SLIDE.NO LOC,HIT HIS HEAD WAS WEARING A HELMET.PCP REFERRED TO EDDX: ABRASION
13YOM HIT CLAVICLE ON POLE WHILE SLEDDING (WAS ON SLED HEAD FIRST), DX SPRAINED SHOULDER
57YOM PATIENT INJURIED HIS LEFT FOOT WHEN HE GOT HIS FOOT STUCK IN A SLED DX: INJURY OF LEFT FOOT, SOFT TISSUE SWELLING
13 YOF C/O ANKLE PAIN S/P CRASHED INTO A TREE WHILE SLEDDING. DX: ANKLE PAIN
5YOM WITH SLED HITTING A CHAIR DX CONCUSSION
11YOF WAS SLEDDING DOWN A HILL AND HIT BACK DX: BACK PAIN
14YOF WAS SLEDDING AND CRASHED INTO A TREE DX RIB FRACTURE
11YOF WAS SLEDDING DOWN A HILL WHEN SHE WENT INTO THE SIDE OF AN ABOVE GROUND SWIMING POOL STRIKING FACE DX: LACERATION TO NOSE
2YOF WAS SLEDDING AT HOME AND FELL OFF NOW WILL NOT MOVE RIGHT ARM DX: NURSE MAIDS ELBOW
3YOM WAS GOING DOWN A HILL ON A SLED AND CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF HIS HOUSE DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY, ABRASION FACE
5YOF WAS SLEDDING WHEN SHE FELL OFF STRIKING HER FACE ON THE GROUND DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY, LIP LACERATION
11YOF WAS SLEDDING AND FELL OFF THE SIDE OF THE SLED STRIKING LEFT SHOULDER DX: FRACTURED LEFT UPPER ARM
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Last winter we were using our sleds in our yard. As I was going down the hill, I tried to turn to avoid an obstacle I lost steering and the front of the sled collapsed. Black eye and a new scar! Yoke of front handle bar was found to be severely cracked. Contacted manufacturer, they replaced sled.
An 11 year old boy was playing at a park. He had climbed to the top of a metal slide, and was attempting to use his sled to go down the slide (it had recently snowed). The sled was stuck at the top of the slide. The 11 year old boy was found by his younger sibling hanging off of the side of the slide with his feet off of the ground. The rope of the sled was around his neck. The sled was a Sno-Storm 50" Vipernex Snow Sled.
Purchased this product: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Uncle-Bob-33-Character-Pull-Sled/19415251 Placed my Grandchild on it, after placing it in the snow, on a level field of snow. He was seated properly, and wasn't moving. I gave it a test pull, mostly to get a feel, and to see his reaction, but I believe his weight moved a little to his right, and the sled tipped over, dumping him face first into the snow. This was right after I had inflated the sled, so was the first try at using it. The distance it was pulled was less then a foot. After the incident, I looked at it, and found it very unstable. I am very happy I wasn't moving faster when this happened. I find the back where the child leans is the problem. Leaning back is fine, but if the weight is moved to the left or right, the sled tips over.
Sled handlebar break after the second day we used. the sled even has the original stickers since was barely used after we purchased on 2014 . we are lucky we never used any demanding conditions. I already contact the company how already have a recall active and they denied is a related issue with the recall. Name of product: Sleds Hazard: The front handle bar assembly of the sleds can break, posing a crash hazard. Remedy: Replace Recall date: June 8, 2016 Units: About 4,200
My kid's sled purchased at Tractor Supply Co. shattered resulting in sharp edges and dagger-like points; there is a deficiency in the plastic either in manufacturing or in the plastic used. My child was sledding down a hill, encountered a bump which fractured the sled into pieces. A plastic material in a winter sled should be able to withstand cold temperatures (it is a winter sled after all) This product is unsafe should be pulled from stores and recalled.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to sleds on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are sleds?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, sleds have a danger score of 39/100 (low risk). An estimated 18,386 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from sleds?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 28,458 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from sleds increasing or decreasing?
Down 11% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for sleds injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 187,712 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by sleds?
Of all ER visits involving sleds, approximately 5.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with sleds?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Sports & Recreation Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 39/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 5-14 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
