2025-Feb-10
It's Snowmobile Safety Week: Ride Smart, Ride Safe!
It’s Snowmobile Safety Week and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) are urging all snowmobilers to prioritize safety. Over the past decade, 145 snowmobilers have died in OPP jurisdictions, with excessive speed, alcohol impairment, inattention, and lack of helmet use being the main causes. Frozen waterways are particularly dangerous, accounting for nearly 40% of fatalities.
Riders are encouraged to avoid frozen lakes and rivers and use OFSC’s trail network, supported by real-time status updates through the Interactive Trail Guide (ITG). Accessing closed trails is illegal. The OPP conducts snowmobile patrols and enforces safety through its Snowmobile, ATV, and Vessel Enforcement (S.A.V.E.) teams to reduce accidents and fatalities.
Ontario Snowmobile Safety Week runs from February 10 to 17, 2025 and riders are encouraged to get up to date on what they need to do to keep themselves, their passengers and fellow riders safe throughout the season.
GBA has more snowmobile safety tips here and the OFSC website has up-to-the-minute trail information here.