Throw bags
Ice Picks
Safety Program Snowmobile Operators Certification
March 5 TNT's Earl Roddick (Safety Officer & NLSF Trainer) and Kevin Stroud (TNT Groomer Operator) conducted a Training Course at Glovertown. RCMP Officers from several detachments in the Central Area as well as Provincial Wildlife and Parks Canada Wardens took part.
RIDE SOBER - Don't drink and ride. Don't let anyone in your group drink and ride. If you manage to drink and ride and are caught before you are killed, you will be punished with loss of licence and fines. Restaurants, Inns, Lodges and Resorts welcome snowmobilers who want to have a few drinks with their friends. But please do it AFTER you've gone sledding, not before. Be a good friend and lift the keys of a fellow rider who thinks he's OK when he's not. That trick is working with drunken drivers - it can work with drunken sledders, too.
RIDE TO THE RIGHT - Only makes sense. Odds are good that an automobile traveling in the left hand lane of the road will sooner or later run into another car head on. Same goes for sleds. It is required by law that a snowmobiler operate to the right of center on the trail when approaching or navigating a curve, corner, grade or hill - why not just stay to the right, even on straightaways.
RIDE AT A REASONABLE SPEED: If you cannot control your sled safely at the speed that you are traveling in the current conditions - you're speeding. Slow down.
USE HAND SIGNALS: The consistent use of a simple set of Hand Signals on the trails keeps movement orderly and predictable. These standardized signals inform other sledders of your actions and allow everyone around you to anticipate the need to slow down. The NLSF has distributed thousands of copies of these hand signals over the past five years and reports from the trails are that signal usage is up significantly. Good job, folks. This simple skill is one that every snowmobiler can learn and use to increase their safety on the trails.
RIDE DEFENSIVELY: You and your group can do everything right, and still encounter a sledder who's doing everything wrong. Don't let their poor judgment or illegal behavior injure you. Always expect the unexpected from the sledder coming toward you. If there is a problem, you'll be prepared to respond and avoid a dangerous situation. Despite concerted efforts by the NLSF,RCMP,RNC,NLSF clubs and the media, there are still some jerks out there who think snow trails are created for drinking and racing. Keep an eye out, ride defensively.
Please keep an eye out for 4 legged animals as well. Moose and Caribou live where you're sledding. Wildlife always have the right of way. If you come up behind a moose on the trail stay far away and wait for the animal to lumber off. If any large animal shows an interest in the fact that you are on the trail, turn around and leave. Don't turn off your sled and follow animals on foot to get a better look. You may get a much closer look than you wanted.
These additional steps will protect you even further:
Carry a map and stay on the trails. Shortcuts can not only be hazardous if you don't know the area, sledders can get "turned around" pretty easily out there. Why bother heading out across unmarked open tracts if you have 4,000km. of signed trails?
Don't snowmobile alone. If you run into mechanical trouble, you'll have someone along who can truck you back home; bury your sled, and there's extra hands to help dig out; take a wrong turn, and there's someone else to blame...
Take care crossing public ways - on busier roads, have a member of the group check for traffic and direct sledders across.
Let someone know where you're planning to go and when you plan to return. An itinerary form left with a friend, the motel staff etc is invaluable if you actually run into trouble on the trail. If your return is delayed, contact the person aware of your trip plans if at all possible, to head off an unnecessary search effort. Try to check weather reports before heading out. Ever been on a sled in a white out? Enough said.
Dress appropriately (layers) and wear a helmet. No one should operate a snowmobile without the protection of a helmet. A life saver in the case of an accident, your helmet will also keep you protected from the occasional tree branch "face slapper" and inclement weather.
Carry a basic repair kit. Saves a lot of frustration if you have a spare belt, a couple tools, etc. with you. (An even better idea is to give your sled a good going over before every trip.)
Don't cross frozen bodies of water unless you are absolutely sure of ice thickness. Trails generally will not lead you across ponds or lakes unless there is no reasonable alternative. Bridges are provided to cross rivers and streams. However, you will find some places where you may cross water, such as marked passage on well frozen lakes - check locally for current ice thicknesses.
Don't overdrive your lights. Don't tangle with a wire, stump or rock on a fast machine in the middle of a cold, dark night.
Remembering these safety guideline will help you to survive and enjoy Snowmobiling the Way It Should Be - Fun and Safe
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SNOWMOBILE ACCIDENT REPORT FORM
DATE/TIME OF ACCIDENT:_____________________________________________
LOCATION:____________________________________________________________
NLSF TRAIL: Y OR N TRAIL CONDITIONS:______________________
AGE:______ GENDER:_____________ HELMET WORN: Y OR N
YEAR, MAKE, MODEL, ENGINE SIZE OF VEHCILE:
________________________________________________________________________
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ACCIDENT:
SPEED Y OR N WEATHER Y OR N
ALCOHOL Y OR N MECHANICAL Y OR N
PERSON INJURED:
DRIVER_____ PASSENGER_____ (if both please fill out a form for each person)
NATURE OF INJURY:(circle one) MINOR SERIOUS FATALITY
BRIEF SUMMARY OF EVENT: (attach additional paper if required)
CHARGES LAID BY POLICE: Y OR N
INVESTIGATING OFFICER AND CONTACT INFORMATION (if available)
Investigator:_________________________ File Number:________________________
Detachment:_________________________ Phone Number:______________________
SUBMITTED BY:__________________________ PHONE:_____________________
SNOWMOBILE CLUB:______________________________ DATE:______________
Please contact Earl Roddick or any of our Executive.
We will submit a report to our NLSF Safety Man Glenn Green
Basic Ice Safety
What to do if a companion falls through thin ice?
- Keep calm and think out a solution.
- Don't run up to the hole. You may break through and then there will be two victims.
- Use some item on shore to throw or extend to the victim to pull them out of the water such as jumper cables or skis, or push a boat ahead of you.
- If you can't rescue the victim immediately, call your local Fire Department. It's amazing how many people carry cellphones.
- Get medical assistance for the victim. People subjected to cold water may seem fine after being rescued but can suffer a potentially fatal condition called "after drop." That may occur when cold blood that is pooled in the body's extremities starts to circulate again as the victim starts to rewarm.
What if you fall in?
- Try not to panic. Remain calm and look towards the shore.
- Place your hands and arms on the unbroken surface of the ice (here's where ice picks (awls) come in handy.)
- Work forward on the ice by kicking your feet, This will assist in keeping your body horizontal and help you "swim" out of the hole in the ice.
- If the ice breaks, maintain your position and slide forward again. If this does not work keep trying.
- Once you are lying on the ice, don't stand. Instead, roll away from the hole.
- Crawl back to your tracks making sure that the hole is kept at a safe distance behind you. That spreads out your weight until you are on solid ice.
- Follow your footsteps back to the shore. This sounds much easier than it is to do.
- The best advice is don't put yourself into needless danger by venturing out too soon or too late in the season.
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