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Posted: January 07, 2009
(Barrie, ON January 07, 2009): The Ontario Federation
of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) marks January 11 to 17 as
Provincial Snowmobile Safety Week with good news that proves
more snowmobilers are taking OFSC safety messages to heart.
Despite an unusually long and snowy winter across most of
Ontario in 2007/08, snowmobiling related fatalities declined
24% compared to the 2006/2007 season, which itself had a
lower count than previously. With 73% of 2007/08 fatalities
occurring off-trail, the stats also reaffirm that open
trails operated by the OFSC remain the safest place to ride
a snowmobile.
“As the world’s largest snowmobiling association, the OFSC
has good cause to celebrate snowmobiling safety week,” said
Eric Saunter, OFSC Manager of Safety and Volunteer
Development. “We have been especially effective in promoting
safe family riding and making snowmobilers more aware of the
risks and consequences associated with bad choices and
irresponsible riding in an unpredictable off-road setting.”
The OFSC also attributes its safety success story to the
sustained “Safe Riders! You Make Snowmobiling Safe”
campaign. Safe Riders strongly promotes safety as an
integral part of the Go Snowmobiling lifestyle. Other key
contributors to safer riding are the Snowmobile Trail
Officer Patrol (S.T.O.P.) Program, which puts police-trained
OFSC enforcement volunteers on OFSC trails, and the
longstanding OFSC Driver Training Program, which has
graduated about 200,000 students since its 1976 inception.
Driver training recently issued an MTO-approved training
package for adult riders, while the OFSC continues to
endorse the “Zero Tolerance for alcohol while snowmobiling”
message. Meanwhile, thousands of club volunteers also
promote safety
during OFSC Checkpoint Weekends on the trails as members of
OFSC Trail Patrol.
To further encourage snowmobilers to take it easy, the OFSC
has widely published its ‘Assumptions for OFSC Trail Use’ so
that riders know exactly what behaviour is acceptable on its
trails. This and other OFSC safety messages are continually
delivered to the public through a province-wide network of
radio, television and print media partners who support the
cause of snowmobile safety.
For Provincial Snowmobile Safety Week, the OFSC reminds
snowmobilers that the most dangerous places to ride a
snowmobile are off-trail, on public roads, and over unmarked
waterways. Night is the riskiest time to ride, especially
combined with excessive speed and alcohol consumption. All
of these factors are predictable and preventable when
responsible sledders make smart choices and take it easy —
and that’s why 99.99% of OFSC snowmobilers return home
safely from every ride.
The OFSC is committed to proactive leadership in promoting
safe, responsible riding, on and off Ontario
snowmobile trails, by building safer snowmobiling knowledge,
attitudes and behaviours through rider education, safety
legislation development and enforcement.
For more OFSC Provincial Snowmobile Safety Week info,
please contact Leta Elsner at 705.739.7669
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Paudash Trail Blazers Snowmobile Club, P.O. Box 130, Apsley, Ontario K0L 1A0
Phone: (705) 656-2292 Fax: (705) 656-2602 Toll Free: 1-800-385-8644 info@paudashtrailblazers.on.ca |
