Snowmobile speed, safety issues, economic impact

Snowmobile speeds in Ontario:

The maximum speed on OFSC trails is 50km/hour. 

This is what sledders agree to when they go on the trails, having bought a trail permit:

Assumptions for OFSC trail use.

The OFSC wants you to Take It Easy and to return home safely. Please take the time to review laws you should know, safety tips , Code of Ethics.

system of signals

There is a very simple system of signals that all snowmobilers should know and use when riding on the trails. These hand signals have been approved by the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations, and they allow you to convey essential information to other snowmobilers who are following or approaching you.

North American Snowmachine Facts
The average age of a snowmobiler is 41 years old (2012)
The average family income of sledders is $68,000/year.
Many clubs raise money for local causes, $3 million for charities in 2011/12.
There were 1.4 million registered machines in the US, and 593,248 in Canada in 2012.

The Economic Impact of Snowmobiling:
* United States - $23 billion annually
* Canada - $7 billion annually
* Europe & Russia - $4 billion annually

Did you know that snowmobiles are a Canadian Invention? 
Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented the first snow machine in 1922, when he was 15 years old.

Lined up outside the pub

Quite the team sport

 

Sledding on the road, Bala, ON

Note the tracks in and out of this open water.
Puddle jumping!

Oops?

In the pub, drinking

Highmarking 

- Safe Riders Snowmobile Safety Awareness Program

Ontario Federation of 

Snowmobile Clubs

Highmarking accounts for more than 63 percent of the avalanche fatalities involving snowmobilers in North America. Tracks on a slope do not mean that a slope is safe.

Of course, the most common incidents are the avalanches out west, where the snow is fragile, susceptible to the loud machines, and where sledders like high marking.

snowmobile caught in avalanche - YouTube

► 0:39► 0:39

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IItP7dVoYc

Apr 3, 2008 - Uploaded by stratician

Two people get caught in an avalanche when snowmobiling at Three Ladies, B.C Canada, March 22nd 2008 ...

insane snowmobile high mark ! - YouTube

► 0:51► 0:51

Apr 20, 2008 - Uploaded by 440sixpack

sigs high mark on polaris 900. at the top of high mark it was almost verticle. no one passed his on thet day it

Death in Quebec Jan. 12, 2013

Québec.com: Snowmobiling

A snowmobiler was on the trail at 10:00 at night. Driving too fast to stop or avoid the moose, he hit his head while trying to drive under said moose. He died of head injuries.

This is the 7th sledder to die in Quebec this winter.

Bonjour Québec.com: Snowmobiling safety tips

What the law says in Quebec:

• 
  
• Wearing a safety helmet is mandatory.
• The minimum age for operating a snowmobile is 16. 
• Except as provided in the Act respecting off-highway vehicles, it is illegal to operate a snowmobile on public roads.
• It is illegal to ride within 30 m (100 ft.) of a dwelling, a health establishment, or an area that is reserved for cultural, educational, or sports activities. 
• Trail security officers are volunteers who patrol the trails in order to increase awareness of the importance of obeying the law. Their work requires know-how and dedication, and they deserve your respect and your complete cooperation.
• The speed limit for snowmobiles is 70 km/h (43 mph). Within 30 m (100 ft.) of a dwelling, the speed limit is reduced to 30 km/h (19 mph).

• 
  Snowmobile-related deaths in Ontario: a 5-year review

  CMAJ January 15, 1992 vol. 146 no. 2
  Fatal accidents occurred more often on lakes (in 66% of the cases in which this information was known) than on roads (in 26%) or trails (in 8%). Weekend fatalities predominated, and deaths occurred most often during times of suboptimal lighting (from 4 pm to 8 am). The driver was killed in 84% of the cases in which the person's role was known. Alcohol use before death was implicated in 69% of the cases, the level exceeding the Ontario legal limit in 59%. CONCLUSION: Snowmobile-related deaths result from factors that are generally avoidable. Strategies need to be instituted to reduce the rate of these events.