It's sledding season –hold on to your hats: snowmobile incidents 2015

Noelville man dies in snowmobile crash 

Provincial police say Jeffery Pockele (40) was driving a snow machine on an Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs trail off of Prevost Road in Noelville when he lost control and was thrown from the machine. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police said speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in the crash. The investigation into the crash continues.

Quebec snowmobile deaths at 7-year high CBC.ca On Saturday, a 42-year-old man died in hospital after his snowmobile ... young man in St-Zénon · ​Alma snowmobile crash leaves 1 dead, 3 injured ...

OPP News Briefs: Snowmobile crash in Tiny Township

(February 28 GEORGIAN BAY) Members of the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were dispatched at 10:20am February 27, 2015 to a report of a single snowmobile crash on the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) # 304 trail.

Ottawa Mayor not immune

I don't know why these things happen. What a shame. He's a busy, engaged mayor. These machines can be deadly. Feb. 28th

Mayor Jim Watson suffers pelvic fracture at snowmobiling event

Mayor Jim Watson suffered a pelvic fracture while participating in a community...

OTTAWACITIZEN.COM

Peterborough Examiner County man killed in snowmobile crash Peterborough Examiner - Thursday, Feb. 19 A 36-year-old Peterborough County man was killed in a collision between a snowmobile ... The woman was transported to hospital as a precaution.

Osgoode man dead after snowmobile crash

Mon., Feb. 16th 2015

Slow down, people.
Somebody out there loves you.

 An Osgoode, Ontario man is dead after a snowmobile crash on a trail crossing the Garrison Petawawa Canadian Forces base northwest of Petawawa.

OFSC Trail Viewer

1. 

Ontario teacher killed in snowmobile accident 

Feb. 10, 015

Another sledder loses her life. She leaves two young kids.
Deidre “Dee” Urso (Paulin), 27, died after the snowmobile on which she was riding in the Byng Inlet area crashed into a steel pole used to secure docking systems in the summer.

Snowmobile driver drowns in Ottawa River
Two Snowmobile Death Last Saturday Night

A snowmobile driver in his 30s drowned Saturday night, Jan. 31st, in the Ottawa River near Vaudreuil-Dorion, in the Montérégie.

 Another (age 48), in Estrie, Quebec, lost control Saturday night at midnight- taking a turn too fast and losing control.

Manitoba man killed in snowmobile crash 

 A 34-year-old Lorette man was killed when he crashed his snowmobile into an embankment at 1:30 a.m.. Sunday, Jan. 19, 2015.

In Saskatchewan, two teens (15 and 19) were drinking and smashed into one another:

1. 
   

   Sledders collect donations for families of teens killed in snowmobile ...

   Globalnews.ca-Jan 18, 2015Share

   “The people that are getting into accidents and fatalities aren't enrolling in the safety course, and we also know from statistics that the leading ...
2. 
   

Sledding season from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
The rivers, on the straight and narrow, are great for skating and sledding. Someone in this community clears it off! This is near Richmond.
Someone went through the ice, on the Ottawa River, though. I'd be paranoid.

Mississippi River flows: sledding at the speed of suicide

Mississippi River, Jan 20, 2012

Of course, some yahoos go through the open water on purpose.

 Despite subzero temperatures, the rivers are still flowing into the lakes.

The incidents are piling up. Lake Mississippi sucked in an ATV and a truck!
OPP are telling people to be careful as the warm winter means many spots normally frozen are iffy now.

Down river it is apparently frozen

OPP urge caution - Variable ice dangers
Multiple open water and break-through incidents

Bubblers keep water open

A recent blast of winter has resulted in a false sense of security as many outdoor enthusiasts venture onto the ice with snowmobiles and trucks.

I don't think their mom knows
that they do this!

sledding on a lake

The fluctuations in temperatures and increased snowfalls have resulted in inconsistent and unstable ice conditions on lakes and rivers.
In the North East Region, the OPP has investigated six occurrences were snow machines have either broken through thin ice or driven into open water.
Three other snowmobile operators were killed in off-ice incidents in Gogama, Sault Ste. Marie and Burks Falls.
Collisions with stationary obstacles such as ice shacks, rock outcrops and pressure cracks see riders ejected and seriously injured or killed.
Speed and alcohol often factor in such crashes.

Riding at night increases risks of open water incidents and trail collisions as machine headlights are often overdriven.
The OPP urge snowmobile enthusiasts to continually consult the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) website’s Interactive Trail Guide and Trail Status Reports.
Ice conditions are poor in many areas, if you choose to venture out, stick to the open trails and ride with extreme caution. 


Sledding at the speed of suicide

Snowmobile Incidents 2009-10
Running totals: 86 Canadian incidents, 67 deaths, and quite a few unreported near misses

Snow vehicles speed laws - safety

sledding

And still they die.

14.  (1)  No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle at a greater rate of speed than,

(a) 20 kilometres per hour,

(i) on a highway where the speed limit established pursuant to the Highway Traffic Act is 50 kilometres per hour or less, or

(ii) in any public park or exhibition grounds; or

(b) 50 kilometres per hour,

(i) on any highway which is open to motor vehicle traffic, where the speed limit established pursuant to theHighway Traffic Act is greater than 50 kilometres per hour, or

(ii) on a trail. R.S.O. 1990, c. M.44, s. 14 (1).

Can someone tell me why they make machines capable of such high speeds?

The laws are clear, but we find that those still drive at high speeds, drink and drive, or drive unsafely.

Our rural volunteer firefighters are called to action.

In southern Ontario, 2007, an off-duty Durham officer (41) and a friend (44),  were using a radar at night, on a lake, to test the speed of their machine. They were on Lake Scugog, in the dark and the friend killed the officer. I still remember the horror of this story. 

~~~~~~~~~~

To help educate Ontario snowmobilers, the OPP and the OFSC are providing the following checklist. A compliant snowmobile operator must always have on their person or sled:

- Valid driver's licence (or if under age 16, a Snow Vehicle Operator's Licence)
- Proof of snowmobile ownership
- Sled registration (including properly placed registration numbers and validation sticker on sled)
- Proof of sled insurance (pink slip)
- Approved snowmobile helmet (for each rider)
- 2010 Snowmobile Trail Permit (properly displayed on the sled) with permit receipt

In addition, the rules of the road apply to this sport:

• speeding,
• failing to stop at a road crossing and
• driving with blood/alcohol levels exceeding the legal limit.

Failure to comply with the law carries penalties including fines, loss of driver's licence, criminal charges and/or imprisonment.

Motorized Snow Vehicles Act Ontario

CONTENTS

1.	Definitions
2.	Permit and registration requirements
2.1	Trail permit required
3.	Administrative requirements
4.	Registration number to be kept clean, unobstructed
5.	Driving on King’s Highway or secondary highway
6.	Duty of driver when school bus stopped on highway
7.	Municipal by-laws, etc.
8.	Crossing roadway
9.	Driving requirements
10.	Operator’s licences
10.1	Crown liability, delegation
11.	Application of certain Acts
12.	Insurance
13.	Duty to report accident
14.	Speed limit
15.	Careless driving
16.	Driver’s obligations
17.	Stopping for vehicles with red or red and blue lights
17.1	Power of police officer to stop
18.	Equipment requirements
19.	Towing
20.	Driver shall wear helmet
21.	Vehicle shall bear National Safety Mark
22.	Risks willingly assumed
23.	Liability of owner
24.	Owner may be convicted
25.	Offences and fines
26.	Regulations

Snowmobiles in Osgoode

Update: Snowmobilers and Osgoode residents fight over rural pathway

When Karen Wallace-Graner bought a home that backed onto a railway line in Osgoode Village 22 years ago, she called CP Rail to check about the frequency of the train.

Now there are 80 snowmobiles a day passing through. I know the noise and the smell. How can they possibly allow this? With skiers, and young families, using the path. What a shame for the neighbourhood.

It won't help tourism dollars, I just don't see the purpose in allowing this.

The trails are rather unpredictable. This snowmobile trail leading through Bala is rather iffy, since the snow is alright on the main trails, but melted on the roads leading to the gas station. This guy overheated his motor (March 6, 2010) trying to get to the gas station. There should be warning signs up! He was very angry, and threw snow on the engine to cool it down. This is dangerous driving, in my estimation. And people using trails and sleds do not mix.

Snow: beautiful, dangerous

This is my world. 
We survived another big dump of snow, prefaced by pouring rain in the early hours.  Snow is amazing. It now coats the frozen trees branches. Pine trees sag in the weight of these little snowflakes, building up on sad-looking trees.  The trees are quivering in the wind. The sound is like tinkling glass, as ice wrapped branches crash into one another. Shades of Ice Storm '98. My World Tuesday   But snow can be even more dangerous.

1 body found after B.C. avalanche - and another is missing.

The body of one skier killed by a B.C. avalanche was found Sunday, but the search for a second was called off because of bad weather.

The avalanche struck at about 4:30 p.m. PT Saturday in what has been described as "very challenging" terrain on Tom George Mountain, part of the Howson Mountain Range, southwest of Smithers, B.C.

This past month: three deaths in one day: snowmobiles highmarking. 


Between 2008 and 2010, 31 snowmobilers died in avalanches in Canada, while only 17 skiers were killed during the same time period, data from the centre based in Revelstoke, B.C., shows.


Canadian Avalanche Centre 


This year, 13 locations.
Avalanche Kills, Highmarking Continues

INTERACTIVE MAP: Avalanche deaths in B.C.

IN DEPTH: Avalanches kill more snowmobilers than skiers

IN DEPTH: Avalanches

B.C. avalanche team recovers 3 bodies

Avalanche kills snowmobiler near Smithers, B.C.

Interactive Map: Recent avalanche deaths in British Columbia(2010)

Snowmobile incident on Lake Rosseau

What a horrible event. One group trying to pull a sled from the ice, while another snowmobiler goes flying through to speed over open water from a bubbler.

I've seen the kids tracks, not seen them do it.

The 17-year-old hit the 40' tow rope (what were they doing?), and has lost a couple of teeth. Rope burn, road rash on his hip, cut on his forehead, swollen mouth.

Snowmobile accident on Lake Rosseau injures teen

A 17-year-old snowmobiler was clotheslined on Lake Rosseau Saturday by a rope being used to pull another snowmobile out of the ice on a narrow finger of the lake near Peninsula Road in Port Sandfield.

At approximately 2 p.m., a group of people were attempting to free a snowmobile frozen in the ice, with a long rope and a pulley attached to a nearby dock, said Bracebridge OPP, who attended the scene. When pulled tight, the rope spanned 40 metres across the ice, police said.