Snowmobile Safety: What To Know Before You Go

If you grew up or live in Michigan, especially those of us in the Upper Peninsula, it’s likely that you have either ridden on a snowmobile during the winter months, or at least have a friend or family member who enjoys the sport. With 3,000 miles of groomed snowmobile trails in the U.P. alone, snowmobiling consistently ranks as one of the top winter activities across the region.

As with any sport, there are important safety tips that any snowmobile rider or passenger need to keep in mind. One of the most important is to ride a safe speed, as speed is the number one cause of serious snowmobile rider injury and death in Michigan.

Other key tips to keep in mind before you ride include these, from Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources:

• Ride on the right side of the trail
• Ride sober
• Anticipate and yield to groomers
• Don’t use modified exhausts
• When approaching an intersection, come to a complete stop, raise off the seat and look both ways for traffic

When planning a snowmobile trip, consider where you plan to ride. You should ride only on designated and signed snowmobile trails, backcountry areas, county or local roadways and frozen bodies of water. Always respect trail conditions and posted closures, and if you’re snowmobiling in the backcountry, stay on public land and respect private landowners.

If you’re on a trail, remember that some designated snowmobile trails are also open to ORVs and other nonmotorized users. If you must stop, use a designated stop area and remove your helmet. Never stop side by side, in the middle, at the crest of a hill, on a corner or in the intersection of a trail.

Following these snowmobile safety guidelines will help you ride safe, so you can make it home to your family and friends.

Stephen Carlson is the trauma program manager at MyMichigan Medical Center Sault.