Do the names Arctic Cat, Lynx, Polaris, Ski-Doo, Yamaha and Buran sound familiar? They are all makes of snowmobiles and seen in vast numbers come winter in Minnesota. Snowmobiling in Minnesota has gained increased popularity over the last 20 years among all ages, especially young males.
The time on a machine can be exhilarating and beautiful. It can also be disastrous. Simply operating a snowmobile across ice covered lakes and snow-covered trails involves risk. This year's unpredictable ice conditions on the lakes and lack of snow on some trails added new elements of risk. Along with the risk of falling through thin ice, "water skipping," the practice of jumping snowmobiles at very high speeds over open stretches of water has been reported at many lakes according to the DNR.
Sleds today are built faster and more powerful than ever. Alcohol consumption by snowmobilers can quickly increase the risk of injury or death. Even small amounts of alcohol can increase your chance to be involved in a crash. During the 1996-97 snowmobiling season there was a startling death toll of 32 and 703 nonfatal accidents, the most since 1972. The average victim was 30 years old and male. This high number of fatalities and injuries has prompted new laws and regulations regarding snowmobile safety.
It appears that driving too fast for conditions, overdriving the headlights, operating during hours of darkness, the use of alcohol or other drugs and sheer recklessness were overwhelmingly involved in most cases. The use of alcohol was involved in 63 percent of the fatal accidents last year.
A contributing factor to the use of alcohol by snowmobilers is a game that has become known as the "poker run." Poker runs are popular among snowmobilers of legal drinking age. In the poker run, a card game of sorts is played, most often poker. First, an entry fee of $5 or $10 is paid. A map of the participating bars is given to each participant and the game begins. Players then proceed to the first bar indicated on the map, sometimes in a group or often alone, to receive their first card. Five bars... five cards received, or seven depending on the game. At each bar, a staff member records the cards drawn by each individual on a form that is carried from one point to the next for additional entries. All entries on the form get a mark from each bar to keep the game fair. At the last stop on the map, cash or prizes are awarded for the highest, second highest, third highest and lowest hand of the group. Alcohol is usually consumed at each stop, making the trip an increasingly dangerous one.
The 1996-97 snowmobile season saw the increase of 20,403 new snowmobile registrations in Minnesota, bringing the total to 274,913 in the state. Registrations are up 62 percent from just ten years ago. With the increase in registered snowmobiles in the state, snow-mobilers will have to become even more safety oriented than before.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association (MnUSA) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have teamed together to sponsor a snowmobile safety billboard campaign. Beginning in December and running through February, 1998 these organizations are supporting placement of billboards featuring the message, This sled is repairable ... The driver wasn't. Don't drink and snowmobile. The billboards are located along major northbound roads in an effort to remind snowmobilers about the dangers of drinking and snowmobiling. For more information regarding this campaign, contact Tom Baumann at 612-297-4192 or Susan Balgie at 612-282-6661.
All statistics and facts supplied by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.