Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Sleds ranks #213 of 838 by danger score (39/100) at ER-volume #128 of 838 (18,386/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #213
- danger rank of 838
- #128
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 39/100
- danger score
- 18,386/yr
- estimated ER visits (avg)
Danger score combines injury volume, hospitalization, fatality, and five-year trend. ER volume is the average annual NEISS estimate alone. Rank 1 is highest on each list.
Where this category's danger score sits nationally
Danger score (39/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
39 Around the middle lower than 25% of 838 product categories
scored CPSC product categories, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more product categories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CPSC NEISS, PlainSafety danger-score model · 2024
Composite verdict
Composite Safety Score: 54/100
One verdict blending 4 independently-sourced dimensions from two separate CPSC systems, each benchmarked against all 838 scored product categories by percentile rather than raw value, so no single huge-volume category can dominate the scale.
| Dimension | Value | National percentile | Weight applied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injury severity (hospitalization + fatality blend) | 5 | 45th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 18,386 | 80th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -11% | 50th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 5 | 34th | 20% | CPSC SaferProducts.gov public incident report count |
Methodology: each dimension is ranked against the full population's p10/p25/p50/p75/p90 breakpoints and interpolated to a 0-100 percentile; the composite is the weighted average of available percentiles. See methodology for the full benchmark table.
Where 367,732 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1217. Segments sum to 367,732 - a body-map mix, not a danger score or ER-volume rank.
Two danger lenses
Same-group peer scores and this product's dial
The bars compare PlainSafety danger scores inside the Sports & Recreation Equipment group (same CPSC NEISS extract). The dial is this product's score alone on the Low/Moderate/High bands. Do not read a peer bar as an ER-visit count.
Sports & Recreation Equipment danger scores
How this 39/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for sleds - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 18,386 ER visits/yr High volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 5.0% Below median admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.01% Low fatality rate
- 5-year trend-11%
Band labels compare this category against the corpus of 838 scored CPSC product categories, see the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Across the 20-year NEISS window from 2005 to 2024, injury counts for sleds 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 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 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.
Compare beyond Sports & Recreation Equipment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Sleds: cross-group products nearest on danger score (39/100), estimated annual ER visits (18,386/yr), and hospitalization share (5.0%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.
Similar danger score
Nearest cross-group products by PlainSafety danger score (100-point scale).
Similar ER visit volume
Nearest cross-group products by NEISS estimated annual ER visits.
Similar hospitalization rate
Nearest cross-group products by % of NEISS ER visits resulting in hospital admission.
Related Products in Sports & Recreation Equipment
Read with this product
About this data
CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports form the basis of this page. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments.
According to PlainSafety's CPSC NEISS corpus ranking, Sleds ranks #213 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #128 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does sleds rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, sleds ranks #213 by PlainSafety danger score (39/100) and #128 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (18,386/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
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.
PlainSafety is rendered directly from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall and incident records, no number is typed in by an editor. Product recall timelines and hazard labels are drawn from CPSC recall records for this product. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.