Snowmobile Safety Week runs January 14-21 and the OPP is reminding sledders to ride safely for an enjoyable winter season. because ignoring the necessary precautions can quickly result in tragedy.
Remember, no ice is "safe ice".
Ice heaves and pressure cracks form when ice sheets expand due to rapid temperature fluctuations. They form as long cracks on ice sheets a mile or larger in size and generally run between points of land across the lake. Ridges typically form after a cold spell comes to an end. They can be death traps for sledders, especially at night.
Hitting an ice ridge on a sled has been likened to hitting a cement wall.
As well, underlying water currents or air pockets can create thin ice, even in the coldest temperatures.
"Snowmobilers can't see this until it's too late," says Constable Phil Young.
"Riding sober, slowing down, avoiding unfamiliar lakes and rivers whenever possible, using prescribed snowmobile trails, and being extra cautious at night, just to name a few," says Young.
Over the past 10 years, driving too fast for the conditions has been the leading cause of OPP- investigated snowmobile deaths, followed by alcohol/drugs which were factors in nearly half of the fatalities. Forty per cent of deaths occurred on frozen waterways - a grim reminder that travelling on frozen bodies of water is consistently unsafe year after year.
