RIDING THE VEH ICLE
Keep a safe distance behind other
snowm obilers to improve visib ility and
reaction time.
Unfamiliar Territory
Whenever you enter an area that is
new to you, drive with extreme cau-
tion. Go slow enough to recognize
potential hazards such as fences or
fence posts, brooks crossing your
path, rocks, sudden dips, guy wires
and coun tle ss other o bstacles which
could result in a termination of your
snowmobile ride. Even when fol-
lowing existing tracks, be cautious.
Tra vel at a speed so you can see what
is around the next bend or over the top
of the h ill.
Bright Sunshine
Bright sunny days c an considerably
reduce you r vision . Th e glare from
sun and snow may blind you to the ex-
tent that you cannot eas ily distinguis h
ravines, ditches or other obstacles.
Goggles with colored lenses should al-
ways be worn under these conditions.
Unseen Obstruction
There may be obstructions hidden
beneath the snow. Driving off es-
tablished trails and in the woods re-
quires reduced speed and increased
vigilance. Driving too fast in an area
can make even minor obstacles very
hazardous. Even hitting a small rock
or stump could throw your snowmo-
bile out of control and cause injury to
its riders. Stay on established trail
s
to reduce your exposure to hazards.
Be safe, s low dow n and enjo y the
scenery.
Hidden Wires
Always be on the lookout for hidden
wires, especially in areas that may
have been farmed at one time or an
-
other. Too many a ccidents have been
caused by running into wires in the
fields, guy wires next to pole
sand
roads, and into chains and wires used
as road closures. Slow speeds are a
must.
Obstacles and Jumping
Unplanned jumps of snowdrifts, snow-
plow ridges, culverts or indistinguish-
able objects can be dangerous. You
can avoid them by wearing the proper
color lenses or face shields and by op-
erating at a lower speed.
Jumpingasnowmobilecanbeahaz-
ardous situation. Be prepared before
landing to absorb the shock and brace
yourself for the impact. Knees m ust
be flexed to act as shock absorbers.
If the trail does suddenly drop away
from you, crouch (stand) towards the
rear of the vehicle and keep the skis up
and straight ahead. Apply partial throt-
tle and brac e yourself for the impact.
Knees m ust be flexed to act as shock
absorbers.
Turning
Depending on terrain conditions, there
are two preferred w ays to turn or cor-
ner a snowmobile. For most snow
surfaces, “body english” is the key to
turning. Leaning towards the inside of
the turn and positioning body weight
on the inside foot will create a “bank-
ing” condition beneath the track. By
adoptin g t his position and positioning
yourself as far forward as possible,
weight will be transferred to the inside
ski.
On occasion, you will find that the only
way to turn the vehicle about in deep
snow is to pullthesnowmobile around.
Do not ov er-exert yourself. Get assis-
tance. Remember to always lift using
your legs as opposed to your back.
20
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SAFETY I
NFORMATION
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