GWINN, Mich. (WLUC) – “Ride right” is an overall safety theme for many snowmobile groups including the Forsyth Snowmobile and ATV Club. That includes wearing a helmet, riding sober, and riding on the right side of the trail at a safe speed. However, snowmobile experts say safety begins even before that.
“One of the biggest things that I think gets overlooked is to actually look in your owner’s manual,” said said Grovier from the Forsyth Snowmobile and ATV Club. “There’s a pre-season checklist in there. It’s a good start if you just go through the owner’s manual, take a couple of minutes to look at it. Generally, that will get you out of a lot of trouble.”
Grovier says it’s important to keep safety first, whether a new rider or an experienced one.
“That’s the first thing that should be in your mind when you get here and the last probably when you leave,” Grovier added. “You’ve got to be safe. If you’re not safe, you get hurt. What good is that? Or you hurt somebody else? Or you damage property or you damage your sled?”
Registration is now open for a free safety class for ages 10 to 16. The class is on December 28 and is taught by the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office. Another snowmobile expert, Laurie Van Damme says the class is very valuable.
“It’s extremely important,” Van Damme said. “We’ve had adults take our class and they can’t believe the stuff they’ve learned, so, the Marquette County Sheriff’s Department does a fabulous job. We all think we know everything, well, it wouldn’t hurt to freshen up once in a while also.”
Van Damme also took a moment to share what drew her to snowmobiling in the first place.
“It’s amazing,” Van Damme said. “You just get out there and you feel good about everything–the fresh air, beautiful scenery. Every year, we make good friends with people and they come up the next year, and it’s a great family event too.”
Other safety tips include dressing appropriately for the weather, being informed about trails before you leave and letting someone know where you’ll be. The Forsyth Snowmobile and ATV Club is also looking for new members.
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