Snowmobile Facts: How Does It Work, How Safe Is It, And Much More

Riding through snow sounds really fun and people have made it possible!

Snowmobiling is a competitive and recreational sport. Snow enthusiasts can spend their time riding through mountains covered in snow.

Ray H. Muscott received a patent for his motor sleigh in 1915 and for the very first United States patent for a snow vehicle in 1916. These patents are still the recognized format for rear tracks and snow skis.

Conversion cars and trucks developed by Ford Model Ts are based on this format, but with a few changes. These cars and trucks are called Snowflyers.

In 1935, the very first snowmobile was assembled and tested by Joseph Bombardier. Some of the major manufacturers of snowmobiles in the world right now are the Arctic Cat which has its headquarters in Theif River Falls, BRP in Valcourt, and Polaris industries in Medina.

The Economic Impact of Snowmobiling

Snowmobiling has now become an important source of income for nations and snowmobilers. In Canada and the United States alone, people spend almost $9 billion on this sport every year.

According to the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, an average snowmobile costs around $5200. The International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association recorded this price in the winter of 2007 and since then, the price of snowmobiles has increased due to the new and improved models.

People spend lots of money on snowmobiles, equipment, and accessories. Many people even go on snowmobiling vacations where they can spend their time speeding through the snow. The snowmobile industry is a great addition to the economy because it has created lots of new jobs.

This opportunity helps to reduce unemployment. The snowmobile industry pays millions of dollars of tax every year. Local tourism-related businesses are also getting a profit as recreational snowmobiling attracts a lot of snowmobile enthusiasts. Due to the benefit that the snowmobile industry has on the local and national economy, the travel industry actively promotes snowmobile tourism.

Accidents and Safety

Snowmobiling can be a thrilling activity during the snowmobile season, but this fun activity can quickly become dangerous if proper precautions are not taken.

Before snowmobiling on your own, it is important to attend a safety course because this will teach you safe-riding behavior. This course will instruct a new snowmobile rider on how to ride safely. Some states also require a driver's license before allowing people to snowmobile.

The weather should always be checked before venturing onto snowmobile trails because the weather can quickly change. Blizzards can turn a fun snowmobiling activity into a hazardous experience because visibility becomes reduced.

Also, it is important to wear appropriate clothing for snowmobiling because it will be cold. A snowmobile suit that has jacket-insulated bibs should be worn in order to stay warm during the ride.

Under the suit, other thermal layers should be worn. However, cotton should be avoided as it can freeze if the rider becomes wet. Polyester is the best choice in order to trap the body's warmth.

Full-face helmets, socks, waterproof gloves, face masks, boots, and other accessories should be worn before performing any snowmobiling activity. The snowmobile should be checked before going out in order to ensure it does not malfunction.

Carrying a first-aid kit is also important and this kit should include disinfectant wipes, band-aids, sanitizer, gauze, adhesive tape, and bandages. Along with this, a repair kit should also be kept in case the snowmobile stops working.

When snowmobiling, it is important to stay alert and understand the surroundings. If a river has snow cover, this probably does not mean it is safe to ride over.

The ice could easily break leading to a fatal accident. Snowmobilers should always stay on marked snowmobile trails. Trail riding is the most basic rule that even an average snowmobiler should know.

An emergency kit should also be kept with the other kits. This emergency kit should include safety materials like a blanket, trail maps, flashlight, compass, snacks, knife, and waterproof matches.

Safety trainers suggest that new snowmobilers should not go too quickly as this can lead to an accident if the snowmobile exceeds the maximum speed limit. A person needs to be above the age of 16 to drive a snowmobile and no one under this age is allowed to handle a snowmobile on their own.

There are similar rules when riding a snowmobile to driving. Drinking while riding or riding while being drunk is illegal.

Multi-Passenger Snowmobiles

The manufacturing of snowmobiles was not the work of a single inventor, rather it is an accumulation of works of different people.

Bombardier invented a caterpillar system that was suitable for all kinds of snow conditions and he started the production of B-7 which was an enclosed seven-seater snowmobile in 1937. He continued to work on his vehicles and in 1942, he introduced a 12-seater vehicle called the B-12.

This vehicle has been used for school buses, forestry machines, and also as army vehicles during World War II. Bombardier aimed to create a smaller version of this vehicle, however, this has yet to be developed.

Snowmobile Racing

The sport of snowmobile racing is known as Snocross. It is a sport that involves racing snowmobiles and showing specialized performances on natural or groomed trails.

Snowmobile clubs take trail grooming very seriously during these races as several artificially made obstacles are built in order to let people showcase the best of their abilities. These races are sanctioned by the International Snowmobile Racing. Snowmobile racing is just like any other racing sport as there are specific rules and safety guidelines that need to be followed.

Importance Of Snowmobiles For Isolated Communities

Since snowmobile manufacturers produce snowmobiles to cope with the harsh, snowy conditions of North America during winter, isolated communities in northern North America have found a new sport and form of transport.

Snowmobiles were once an important form of transport, but they now have become recreational vehicles. Communities in snowy US states have benefited from snowmobiles because they have increased the number of visitors. Snowmobile clubs travel to these areas in North America to go snowmobiling, boosting the local economy.