Snowmachine Safety

Snowmachine Safety: As wintertime progresses, a lot of Alaskans will be taking to the snow on a snowmachine. Remember they are as dangerous as they are fun. Reduce accidents and injuries by starting your snowmachine safely. Be careful, be intelligent and have fun.

Snowmachine Safety – Starting Your Snowmachine

First, before starting your snowmachine, make sure it is pointed in a direction that is safe. If you start the machine and it lurches forward, you want to make sure the area in front of you is clear.

Second, hold the handlebar of your snowmachine with one hand when starting it. Again, should the snowmachine start suddenly, you want to be in control. There are several safe positions you can be in while starting your snowmachine:

• Use your left hand to hold the left handlebar while your right knee is kneeling on the seat’s left side. This way you can use your right hand to reach over and pull the ripcord.
• Sit on the machine, use your left hand to hold the left handlebar, and use your right hand to push the electric start button.
• Stand to the right side of the snowmachine and use one hand to either pull the ripcord or push the electric start button while holding the right handlebar with the other hand.
• Third, if you used a ripcord to start your snowmachine, make sure to throttle it a little bit after it has started. After throttling, it will come back to an idle. If the machine is cold, you may need to throttle it a couple times and prime or choke the engine, especially if this is the first time you started the engine. If you are having trouble starting your snowmachine, be careful to stop pulling the ripcord before the engine gets flooded with gas. Simply wait one or two minutes and try again.

Play in the Snow Safely

Snowmachine safety will help you avoid an accident, as well as preventing injuries. Alaskan residents who suffer an injury on a snowmachine may want to investigate how the crash occurred. It’s possible you may have a claim for damages. If you want guidance in this process, schedule a free consultation with Johnson Law.

Winter sports are popular in Alaska, especially riding snowmachines (also known as snowmobiles). Each year, many people, including children, suffer serious injuries while using a snowmachine. Head injuries are the leading serious injury on snowmachines.

Snowmachine Safety – Passengers Are At Greater Risk

Unknown to many, head injuries are more common among snowmachine passengers than drivers. It takes strength and stamina to practice snowmachine safety as a passenger. Passengers must hold on tightly for long periods of time. They are unable to see snowmachine shifts in advance. This is even more difficult when a snowmachine is running over bumpy ground at high speed. Accidents occur more often when children double on snowmachines. Youth snowmachines are not designed for passengers.

Passengers also distract drivers, affecting snowmachine safety. All drivers, young and old, must pay close attention. No matter the ages of our passengers, drivers are responsible for very precious cargo. Even machines built for passengers increase risk of injuries. Passengers are often higher, making the snowmachine less stable.

Does The Snowmachine Fit Your Child?

It is important for young riders to be on the right size snowmachines. Riders who are too large overload the capability of a youth machine. Even more dangerous are riders who are too small for the horsepower and weight of adult machines. They cannot reach the controls and have difficulty controlling the snowmachine. Their feet dangle above the running boards and foot wells. Without solid footing, children cannot shift body weight while riding. Riders who are too small cannot shift their weight to balance the sled.

Learn More About Snowmachine Safety For The Entire Family.

Great sites such as:  SnowTracks and Snoriders are entirely devoted to helping keep you and your loved ones safer while enjoying the great outdoors. In addition, sites dedicated to child safety and well-being, such as Caring for Kids provide great ideas for added safety while snowmachining with your kids.

This piece on Snowmachine Safety is the seventh of a nine-part winter safety series. See our safety tips for Outdoor Winter Walking Safety; Keeping Kids Safe and Warm; Heating Your Home; Cold Weather Vehicle Safety; Driving in Ice and Snow; Removing Ice and Snow Safely; and Surviving Extreme Cold.

Johnson & Associates has been helping Alaskans for nearly 30 years. It’s who we are. And while we hope you never need us… We’re here if you do. ~ Doug Johnson

Please call Johnson & Associates to discuss your case: (907)277-3090 or use our online contact form.

Sources: Alaska Safe Riders; SnowmobileInfo.org;

Image Source: SnowmobileInfo.org