It’s been a slow to arrive but snowmobile season is finally getting underway as more trails are opened around the region.
There are several stretches of trails in Simcoe County opened north of Barrie. Click here to see the latest trail conditions.
The OPP and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) are launching Provincial Snowmobile Safety Week on Saturday with a message for snowmobilers to focus on their own personal safety and the well-being of others.
Police and the OFSC are reminding snowmobile enthusiasts to stay off the lakes and waterways for the time-being as conditions are generally poor in many parts of the province.
Last winter, the OPP investigated 15 snowmobile-related fatalities, a decrease from the previous two winters (21 in the 2013-14 season and 18 in the 2012-13 season). While the OPP and OFSC are relieved to see fewer lives lost, data clearly indicates that riding impaired, speeding and riding after dark continue to be major contributing factors in snowmobiling incidents:
- 58 per cent of snowmobile-related fatalities involved alcohol or drugs
- 57 per cent involved speeding or riding too fast for conditions
- 58 per cent occurred at dusk or after dark
In particular, the OPP and OFSC are appealing to middle-aged men to ride with extra care and control this winter. According to police, 87 per cent of last season’s snowmobile-related fatalities involved male riders and 58 per cent were riders or passengers between the ages of 35 and 54.
Police are also warning motorist to watch for snowmobiles along roads or those that cross roads at snowmobile trails.
