Stronger Emphasis on Snowmobile Safety This Winter
Following a tragic snowmobile accident fatality, a stronger emphasis is being placed on vehicle safety this winter.
According to the National Science Foundation, a researcher with the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP), suffered a fatal injury in a Antarctica snowmobile accident.
Dr. Gordon Hamilton was operating a snowmobile when he lost control and drove into a crevasse. Hamilton’s team was in the Shear Zone, a heavily crevassed area about 25 miles from the largest U.S. research base in Antarctica.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic death of Dr. Hamilton. Our thoughts are with the family and entire community as we mourn this loss,” said Dr. France Códova, Director of the National Science Foundation.
Since the fatal accident, numerous crevasses in the area have been filled as a safety precaution.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that a higher volume of people on the roads combined with alcohol-impaired drivers cause roughly two times the number of fatal accidents during the summer months compared to the rest of the year. Despite the high levels of roadway fatalities during the summer, because of dangerous conditions and unsafe procedures regarding snowmobiles, winter is also a dangerous time for many people, as thousands of snowmobile accidents occur every year, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
The main causes of these snowmobile accidents are natural obstacles, excessive speed, and alcohol intoxication. There are many safety regulations in place in states where snowmobiling is a poplar form of recreation including registration of snowmobiles, minimum operation age, and requirement of safety cause prior to operation.
One of the most popular states for riding, Minnesota, is encouraging kids age 12 and older to take a class that stresses the importance of snowmobile safety.
According to Valley News Live, the required class is reducing the amount of fatalities across the state.
“With proper training and education with laws, the amount of accidents in Minnesota declined with snowmobiles,” said William Landmark, a Minnesota DNR Conservation Officer.
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