Snowmobile Accidents and Accident Benefits Insurance Claims
There are far too many snowmobile accidents each year. A tragic snowmobile accident took another life: the life of a 24-year-old man in Val des Monts yesterday. My thoughts go out to his family and friends and I am truly sorry for their loss. I have many clients who have injured themselves in a snowmobile accident. A snowmobile is considered a motor vehicle and yes, Ontario accident benefits apply to snowmobile accidents. So the good news is there is support and compensation for people who suffer injuries in snowmobile accidents. The bad news is, that there seem to be a lot of snowmobile accidents in our region and some of them are sadly, fatal. Please ride safely…
Transport Canada has prepared an amazing site full of interesting information that relates to road and snowmobile safety. For example, did you know that there are over 700,000 registered snowmobiles and more than 161,000 km of snowmobile trails in Canada? Snowmobiling can be safe and enjoyable. As long as drivers are cautious and follow safety rules, there is no reason not to get out and enjoy a fantastic sport.
The Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations or CCSO highlighted that between the years of 1994 and 1999 when promoting safety and snowmobiling became a focus, snowmobile accident fatalities dropped by 2% – from 96 to 94 deaths; however, the number of snowmobile drivers increased by 40%. This goes to show that more and more people can ride safely when safety is a focus.
Avoiding Snowmobile accidents safety tips:
- Tell someone where you plan to go and when you plan to get there.
- Ensure that your snowmobile is tuned up.
- Dress properly to protect yourself and avoid hypothermia, especially in children.
- Always have a first aid and survival kit available.
- Ride at your own speed.
- Try to use snowmobile trails whenever possible.
- Remain on the right side of all roads, paths and trails.
- If you don’t know the area, slow down and drive cautiously.
- Be careful crossing roads and train tracks.
- At night, drive with headlights and slow down.
- Know the ice conditions and if you are unsure, do not cross.
- Always wear flotation-type clothing.
- Always be on the lookout for wildlife.
It’s impossible to completely avoid all accidents but please, let’s try. Snowmobiling does not need to be a dangerous sport. Be safe and ride as safely as possible. Enjoy!
