{"id":136,"date":"2010-12-10T08:59:10","date_gmt":"2010-12-10T14:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/207.36.117.28\/blog\/?p=136"},"modified":"2022-06-02T14:37:02","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T19:37:02","slug":"a-bit-on-sled-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.denniskirk.com\/blog\/2010\/12\/10\/a-bit-on-sled-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"A Bit on Sled Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

We know you\u2019ve probably heard this lecture time and time again, and that the \u201csnowmobile safety horse\u201d has just about been beaten beyond recognition, but listen up: this is important and it bears repeating until we can achieve a snowmobile season with zero accidents or deaths.<\/p>\n

As the snow continues to fall here in Minnesota, we continue to see an increasing number of sleds out on the trails, and sadly, we start hearing about more snowmobile-related accidents and deaths. In the spirit of prevention, (and most of these unfortunate accidents can <\/em>be prevented,) we have compiled a list of safety tips to help keep you and other riders safe during the snowmobile<\/a> season.<\/p>\n

1.Before you leave, let someone else know where you\u2019re going and when you expect to return.<\/strong> We know, we know \u2013 sometimes you just get caught up in the thrill and excitement of riding and lose track of time, but if something does happen, at least people know where to start looking for you. Just make sure they don\u2019t find you at the bar.<\/p>\n

2.This seems like it should be a no-brainer, but pay close attention to your fuel supply<\/strong>. If you\u2019re headed out of civilization, don\u2019t go any further than the point at which your fuel gauge reads half full. If you do, you better hope that you at least did #1.<\/p>\n

3.Be aware.<\/strong> Trails can be chock full of obstacles like trees, animals, equipment, snow banks, flooding, sharp turns\u2026 you name it. We don\u2019t care how hot that chick that just passed you might be, keep your eyes on the trail to protect yourself, your sled, and other riders.<\/p>\n

4.Here in the Midwest, an avalanche is better known as a Chevrolet truck, but for other riders, avalanches are all too real. Try to avoid areas where avalanches can, will, or have been known to happen<\/strong>, like canyons, steep hills, or long, open slopes. If you do get caught in one, ride with the snow, not against it, and bring your hands up in front of your face to form an air pocket before coming to a stop. And make sure you take care of #1 before you leave.<\/p>\n

5.Layer, layer, layer. <\/strong>Dressing appropriately and having the correct riding apparel<\/a>\u00a0is one of the most important rules. Dressing in layers helps trap warm air close to your body, but avoid cottons that retain moisture and can make you cold and clammy like a bad handshake. Consider reflective gear if you\u2019re going to be riding past dark, and make some room to carry extra clothing, just in case.<\/p>\n

6.74% of all snowmobiling accidents involve alcohol<\/strong>. Don\u2019t drink and ride, and don\u2019t let your friends do so either. There is no faster way to make people think you\u2019re an idiot.<\/p>\n

7.Unless your sled is a Transformer and can turn into a boat, (in which case you better be on the phone with Michael Bay right now,) avoid areas where there\u2019s ice or water. <\/strong>It\u2019s tough to know how thick the ice is, and drowning is one of the leading causes of snowmobile deaths. If you\u2019re riding trails where you can\u2019t avoid crossing water at some point, carry picks and consider wearing a buoyant snowmobile suit.<\/p>\n

8.We know you\u2019re not Survivor Man, but it never hurts to be prepared<\/strong>. Carry an emergency tool kit for repairs, spare parts, and a first aid kit to take care of trail injuries. Make sure you have water, some food for energy, a compass, a colored flag, etc. If you can afford it, it\u2019s also a good idea to have some kind of electronic GPS system or a communication system<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Look, the bottom line is that we hate hearing about sledding disasters. We\u2019d rather hear about what a great time you have riding. The better prepared you are, the better your chances are for having more fun, so keep these tips in mind the next time you ride and then visit our Facebook page<\/a> and share your awesome stories. Happy riding!<\/p>\n

Tell us: What do you never leave the house without?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We know you\u2019ve probably heard this lecture time and time again, and that the \u201csnowmobile safety horse\u201d has just about been beaten beyond recognition, but…<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_angie_page":false,"page_builder":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[409],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-136","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-powersports"},"yoast_head":"\nA Bit on Sled Safety - Dennis Kirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denniskirk.com\/blog\/2010\/12\/10\/a-bit-on-sled-safety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Bit on Sled Safety\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We know you\u2019ve probably heard this lecture time and time again, and that the \u201csnowmobile safety horse\u201d has just about been beaten beyond recognition, but… Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.denniskirk.com\/blog\/2010\/12\/10\/a-bit-on-sled-safety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dennis Kirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dennis.kirk.fb\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2010-12-10T14:59:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-06-02T19:37:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/media.tumblr.com\/tumblr_ld67ni869C1qai5g3.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dennis Kirk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dennis Kirk\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.denniskirk.com\\\/blog\\\/2010\\\/12\\\/10\\\/a-bit-on-sled-safety\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.denniskirk.com\\\/blog\\\/2010\\\/12\\\/10\\\/a-bit-on-sled-safety\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dennis Kirk\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.denniskirk.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/51debf3d2396abe73c2adfa1fd46195b\"},\"headline\":\"A Bit on Sled Safety\",\"datePublished\":\"2010-12-10T14:59:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-06-02T19:37:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.denniskirk.com\\\/blog\\\/2010\\\/12\\\/10\\\/a-bit-on-sled-safety\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":696,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.denniskirk.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.denniskirk.com\\\/blog\\\/2010\\\/12\\\/10\\\/a-bit-on-sled-safety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/media.tumblr.com\\\/tumblr_ld67ni869C1qai5g3.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Powersports\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.denniskirk.com\\\/blog\\\/2010\\\/12\\\/10\\\/a-bit-on-sled-safety\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.denniskirk.com\\\/blog\\\/2010\\\/12\\\/10\\\/a-bit-on-sled-safety\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.denniskirk.com\\\/blog\\\/2010\\\/12\\\/10\\\/a-bit-on-sled-safety\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Bit on Sled Safety - 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