Much like the seat belt warning chimes and visual indicators that are standard safety features on modern vehicles, some chairlifts at Zermatt Ski Resort in Austria are equipped with similar concepts to remind guests to lower the safety bar when riding chairlifts.
The klaxon warning sound and flashing lights are slightly more aggressive than the mild tones emitted when you forget to buckle your safety belt but they are effective even in harsh conditions that may hamper both visual and auditory cues.
Not exactly sure how the system works but it looks like violators are identified using a stand alone video camera rather than sensors attached to the chairlift. Who or what sounds the alarm is unknown but this would likely be tasked to an automated system.
While some may view this type of surveillance as intrusive on a calm day skiing around the mountains, the fact is every year there are avoidable incidents of people failing to lower chairlift safety bars and fall off chairlifts and any way to increase compliance would help with the problem.
A recent study on chairlift restraint bar use in the United States which observed 24 chairlifts at 8 ski areas in 4 geographic regions of the US found that the overall frequency of restraint bar use was 41.6%; however, use varied significantly by geographic region, with the lowest use rates in the Midwest (9%) and highest use rates in the Northeast (80%). 6,343 chairs with 16,286 passengers were observed for the study. Other factors found to significantly increase safety bar use included a mix of children and adults on the chair (compared to only adults), chairs with only skiers (no snowboarders), and fixed-grip chairs (versus detachable). Restraint bar features such as footrests and handholds were not a driving factor in use.
