Unseen Obstruction
There may be obstructions hidden
beneath the snow. Driving off estab-
lished trails and in the woods requires
reduced speed and increased vigi-
lance. Driving too fast in an area can
make even minor obstacles very haz-
ardous. Even hitting a small rock or
stump could throw your snowmo-
bile out of control and cause injury to
its riders. Stay on established trails
to reduce your exposure to hazards.
Be safe, slow down and enjoy 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 accidents have been
caused by running into wires in the
fields, guy wires next to poles and
roads, and into chains and wires used
as road closures. Slow speeds are a
must.
Obstacles and Jumping
Unplanned jumps of snowdrifts,
snowplow ridges, culverts or indistin-
guishable objects can be dangerous.
You can avoid them by wearing the
proper color lenses or face shields and
by operating at a lower speed.
Jumping a snowmobile is an unsafe
and dangerous practice. However, 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 brace yourself for the impact.
Knees must be flexed to act as shock
absorbers.
Turning
Depending on terrain conditions, there
are two preferred ways 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
adopting this position and positioning
yourself as far forward as possible,
weight will be transferred to the inside
ski.
On occasion, you will find that the on-
ly way to turn the vehicle about in
deep snow is to pull the snowmobile
around. Do not over-exert yourself.
Get assistance. Remember to always
lift using your legs as opposed to your
back.
mmo2006-003-005
Road Crossing
In some cases, you will be approac
h-
ing the road from a ditch or snowbank.
Choose a place where you know you
can climb without difficulty
.Usethe
standing position and proceed with on-
ly as much speed needed to crest the
bank. Stop completely at th
etopof
the bank and wait for all traffic to clear.
Judge the drop to the roadway. Cross
the road at a 90° angle
. If you en-
counter another snowbank on the op-
posite side, position your feet near the
rear of the vehicle
. Remember, your
snowmobile is not designed to oper-
ate on bare pavement and steering on
this type of sur
face is more difficult.
20
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SAFETY INFORMATION
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