LONDON, December 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Now that the first snows have come across Europe and the US, skiers will be tempted to rush out and get some action on the piste.

That's just the moment accidents can happen, warns Greg Lawson, Group Broking Director of online travel insurance company Flexicover.Net, as he offers some timely advice to help skiers stay safe on the slopes.

"Winter sports can be dangerous but there are all sorts of things skiers and snowboarders can do to make sure they have a fun and safe holiday in the snow," he says. These are:

- Make sure you are fit: Research has shown that a lot of injuries - especially to legs - happen because people are out of condition when they get on their skis. It pays to get your muscles in shape well before you go.

- Don't take risks: Know your limits and only push yourself if you are confident enough or have a qualified guide on hand to give advice and help.

- Consider lessons: Even if you are a good skier, it never hurts to have some expert help to ease you back on to your skis and take you to the next level.

- Make sure you have good ski insurance: This won't stop accidents, but it will be invaluable if the worst should happen. Make sure you choose a good policy that also provides cover against those niggling little things that can spoil a ski holiday, such as no snow, too much snow or loss or damage to your ski equipment.

Lawson says Flexicover's winter sports policy covers all these things, as well as providing all-important medical emergency and repatriation cover, personal liability and legal protection. "Flexicover.Net is a very comprehensive winter sports policy. It's ideal for people who are taking just one trip a year but we also offer winter sports cover in our annual multi-trip policy and we would definitely recommend this to anyone who travels a lot each year."