Interesting Article about comfort bars

Whatever you call them, the article looks at whether they are purely a psychological or real safety device.

The article Lift Safety published by Planet Jackson Hole discusses the effectiveness of comfort bars after a young girl fell from the lifts sustaining severe injuries. The Denver Post did the only real study on the effectiveness of comfort bars in 2002, which found there was no difference between using and not using the bars.

New York and Vermont have state laws that require the use of comfort bars on chairlifts. Colorado requires the bars be used for lifts operating in the summer.

The article blames the lack of information on the effectiveness of the safety bars on states not having tramway safety boards.