Snowmobile time is finally here in Michigan

DNR shares safety tips and classes for riders

By Barb Pert Templeton

As the first major snowstorm of the season arrived across the state this weekend Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials are urging all outdoor enthusiasts to use caution, especially when snowmobiling or venturing onto the ice.

“Unfortunately, with the unseasonable winter we’ve experienced this season, there are still marginal ice conditions throughout the state,” said Lt. Tom Wanless, DNR recreational safety, education, and enforcement supervisor in a recent press release. “Accumulating snowfall often creates blankets of snow on top of bodies of water that are still freezing, which creates deceiving perceptions that the water is solid and safe to venture onto.”

For those outdoor enthusiasts who plan to be on or near the ice, the DNR reminds you to wear a life jacket and carry icepicks in an easy-to-reach spot, such as clipped onto your chest. You can test ice thickness and quality using a spud, needle bar, or auger. If there’s ice on the lake but water around the shoreline, be extra cautious for potentially hazardous conditions.

The DNR’s snowmobile safety campaign urges snowmobilers to ride sober, at a safe speed, and on the right side of the trail or roadway. Group leaders should also lead right by riding at a comfortable pace that their most novice rider can safely maintain, stopping regularly to check on the group, using an experienced snowmobiler to ride last in the group, and limiting the overall number of riders in the group.

“All snowmobilers should slow down when taking corners and make a complete stop at all intersections,” said Cpl. Mike Hearn, DNR snowmobile and off-road vehicle specialist. “This is often when collisions happen because people take a turn too fast or tight and collide with another snowmobiler or object or leave the path. Just slow down.”

The DNR encourages all individuals to complete an approved snowmobile safety course. 

In Michigan, all snowmobile operators who are 12 to 16 years of age are required to take a Michigan-approved snowmobile safety course and obtain a snowmobile safety certificate. Snowmobile safety education training and online safety courses are recommended for all operators. There are a couple of ways to get a certificate:

Online

Take an online snowmobile safety class at snowmobile-ed.com/michigan.

Take and pass the final exam.

Print out your permanent snowmobile safety certificate once you have successfully completed the course, passed the exam, and paid the course fee (pay only when you pass).

Classroom-based courses:

Find a classroom-based snowmobile safety education course. You can enter your zip code to search for classes near you, snowmobile-ed.com/michigan.

FATALITIES:

So far this winter, one snowmobile fatality has been reported.

• On Dec. 3, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. in Benzie County on Stanley Road, a 54-year-old male driver was traveling eastbound on a snow-covered county road. The driver failed to negotiate a left curve in the roadway which caused the snowmobile to strike an embankment and go airborne. Multiple trees were struck upon leaving the roadway, ejecting the operator. Speed and suspected alcohol were contributing factors to the crash
• During the 2022-23 snowmobile season, there were 204 reported crashes including 19 fatalities, of which 63% involved drugs or alcohol.