With the current weather conditions, many citizens have turned to snowmobiles as their main travel method to traverse the large piles of snow and sheets of ice safely, but many have to remember that snowmobiles are motorized vehicles like cars and motorcycles. Because of that, the Crookston Driftbusters gave us some tips and reminders for snowmobilers to remember to stay safe and avoid being in a fatal crash.
The biggest thing that snowmobilers need to remember, according to Crookston Driftbusters Treasurer and Snowmobile Safety Instructor Mike Boucher, is that snowmobiles are motorized vehicles subject to the same rules as automobile traffic. While snowmobiles have their own trails off on the sides of roads to keep them from interfering with or blinding other drivers with their bright LED lights. “The same rules apply with snowmobiles as with automobile traffic. Basically, you need to stay to the right side of the road,” Mike Boucher explains. “A lot of our trails around here are near road ditches, so you need to stay to the right side of the road and go with the flow of traffic, especially at night because newer snowmobiles have bright LED headlights, and they can be blinding to oncoming traffic on the road, so at night it’s the law that you need to be on the right-hand side of the road going with the flow of traffic.” Boucher emphasized this by saying at night, when car drivers see the lights of a snowmobile coming at them from the right side of the road, that can confuse drivers into believing they’re on the wrong side and potentially driving off the road.
Other precautions snowmobilers should heed is to follow the markings of the snowmobile trails and caution signs of any potential hazards along them, such as telephone poles, transformer boxes, and fiber-optic cable posts. One major hazard Boucher mentioned was for snowmobilers to watch for the deep snow covering culverts under the crossings by farmers’ agricultural lands, as a snowmobile’s ski can get stuck in the snow and launch a rider over the handlebars. Another safety measure Boucher mentioned was that snowmobiles tracks and skis need a much longer stopping or following distance than cars, as they are still very susceptible to sliding on ice and snow. Like all motor vehicles, Boucher also recommended that riders check their snowmobiles before they drive to make sure everything is functioning correctly. “Make sure it’s facing in a safe direction. It’s not frozen down to the ground. Break your skis loose and inspect your track to make sure there’s nothing lodged in it,” Boucher explained. “Once you start the snowmobile, check your head, tail, and brake lights so that everything is operational and your emergency shutoff switch.” The final piece of advice Boucher gave was for riders to dress appropriately by covering every square inch of skin, especially with these temperatures and with wind chill while riding on the snowmobile.
On the other side, car drivers should also be aware of snowmobilers as their vehicle is much closer to the ground and harder to see than other vehicles. He noted people should especially be careful as while there are trails for snowmobiles, they are allowed to ride on the city streets to be used as direct routes. With this, Boucher explained drivers should take extra caution at intersections, especially with high snowbanks around corners, to ensure a snowmobile is or isn’t coming. He noted that snowmobiles do not have the right of way at intersections and must signal their direction before crossing any intersection.
Boucher said that the best thing you can do to stay safe while riding a snowmobile is to never ride along, especially in the case of a snowmobile crash, accident, or breakdown. “The biggest safety item we tell kids is to never ride alone. Always go with another person on another snowmobile. That way, if one of you has a breakdown or crashes, and your snowmobile becomes inoperable, you at least have a way to get back home by hopping on the back of the other machine and ride to go get help,” Boucher explained. “Whereas if you’re completely by yourself, especially in these temperatures, frostbite sets in in no time. If you’re going to be by yourself, make sure you bring a survival kit with things like a candy bar, a fire starter, a reflective or blaze orange color or flag.”
Boucher explained that all snowmobilers born after December 31, 1976, are required to take a snowmobile safety class and test to get a snowmobile endorsement for their license to ride on public trails in Minnesota. The Crookston Driftbusters Snowmobile Club will be holding their annual Snowmobile Safety Training Day on Saturday, January 4, beginning at 8:00 a.m. in the Crookston Sports Center. Students ages 12-15 must complete the online course at www.snowmobilecourse.com and pay $24.95. To learn more about the course and other snowmobile safety tips, you can contact Mike Boucher at 218-891-3419 or 218-280-3385.
