Snowmobiling Safety In Ontario

[Person on snowmobile rides down a trail in the forest in the Winter.]

JOHN BLAICHER, Go Snowmobiling - Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs >> You must always expect the unexpected. Snowmobiling happens in an off-road environment.

[Person on snowmobile pulls up to other snowmobile riders on the trail.]

JOHN BLAICHER >> It could be another snowmobiler coming over the hill, hogging your side of the trail, which wouldn't be a good thing.

[JOHN BLAICHER, standing aside his snowmobile.]

JOHN BLAICHER >> Riders often make poor choice decisions and they combine a number of those choices together. They speed, they ride too fast for the conditions...

[Person on snowmobile driving snowmobile along the side of a busy road.]

JOHN BLAICHER >> They ride off trail. When people ride off trail, they increase their risk dramatically. It's not the machine that kills people, its people's choices.

[Person on snowmobile, riding on trail in the forest.]

[MARY MAZUR, Training Course Participant, standing aside her snowmobile.]

MARY MAZUR >> I did see a snowmobile crash on Highway 26 where a snowmobiler was trying to get across the road and it looked like a car had hit him.

[Multiple people on snowmobiles, riding close together on trail in the forest.]

MARY MAZUR >> I think if you're using your common sense and some caution, it's a safe sport.

JOHN BLAICHER >> It's often a young male that gets injured or killed and those incidents are really predictable and preventable.

[JOHN BLAICHER, standing aside his snowmobile.]

JOHN BLAICHER >> There's four things they can do to reduce the risk in getting involved in a snowmobile incident. Get trained.

JOHN BLAICHER [Shouting at a group of trainee snowmobile riders] >> Hit your kill switch!

[Snowmobile riders on trail hit their 'kill switch' on their snowmobiles. John Blaicher is shown training snowmobile riders proper techniques.]

JOHN BLAICHER >> Training is very important. Wear the proper gear. There's safety equipment, for instance, the helmet. Make sure that you're wearing it.

[John Blaicher is shown properly wearing helmet.]

JOHN BLAICHER >> Stay on the trail. Ninety percent of all incidents are off-trail. And always ride with care and in control of the machine.

[Snowmobile  riders are shown riding on trail in the forest.]

JOHN BLAICHER [Shouting at a group of trainee snowmobile riders] >> Left hand turn body position!

[Group of snowmobile riders are shown sitting on their snowmobiles and moving their bodies to the left in unison.]

[PATRICIA GLASS, Training Course Participant, standing aside her snowmobile.]

PATRICIA GLASS >> The lesson was excellent. It was just a good, basic start.

[Patricia Glass is shown learning lessons from John Blaicher on her snowmobile.]

PATRICIA GLASS >> This was my second time on a sled. You don't get into a car and start driving it. You take lessons and I think for the snowmobile, the same should apply.

[Patricia Glass is shown turning the ignition on her snowmobile on taking off down the trail in the forest.]

JOHN BLAICHER >> The other thing is do it sober. No alcohol or drugs. If you make those four prudent choices, snowmobiling is not dangerous. Go out and enjoy, because it's a lot of fun.

[Group of snowmobile riders ride along the trail in the forest.]

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