If you enjoy riding a snowmobile during the winter months, you need to go over the various hazards you face. Whether you ride on a daily basis or periodically, you could become seriously hurt if something goes wrong. Every year, many snowmobilers sustain serious injuries in accidents, which sometimes take place due to the negligence of others.
Riding a snowmobile near traffic raises additional concerns. For example, a drunk or distracted driver could collide with you. Sometimes, snowmobilers suffer serious injuries after a reckless driver loses control of their vehicle during poor weather conditions. Going over statistics on snowmobile accidents sheds light on how frequent these crashes are and their characteristics.
The prevalence of snowmobile accidents
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources published statistics on accidents involving snowmobiles during the 2020-2021 season. During this period, 90 snowmobile accidents took place, causing 73 people to suffer injuries and 3 people to lose their lives. 75% of these accidents involved personal injuries and 22% resulted in property damage.
Going over the characteristics of snowmobile accidents
During this timeframe, most snowmobile accidents took place on lakes or streams as well as government-marked trails. However, 18% occurred on road right-of-ways, and some of these accidents involved collisions with vehicles. A majority of snowmobile accidents happened during the weekend and in the afternoon hours. However, it is important to note that snowmobile accidents can occur at any time and in any location where one operates a snowmobile.
As a snowmobiler, you are especially vulnerable if a vehicle hits you. Negligent drivers who collide with snowmobilers need to answer for their actions.
