At 90 miles per hour, a snowmobile moves at 131 feet per second. With a standard reaction time of 1.5 seconds, a snowmobile will travel 195 feet before coming to a stop. The number of snowmobile operators in the United States is difficult to determine because there are no uniform requirements for licensure. In 1996, there were more than 1.3 million registered snowmobiles in the United States. The effect of snowmobile safety education for children younger than 16 years on the risk of snowmobile-related injury has not been reported in the literature.
Children are at risk for snowmobile-related injury from being the operator, bystander, or passenger.
2 Population at Risk Males younger than 16 years are more than three times as likely as females of the same age to sustain a snowmobile-related injury. During 1995, there were 16,226 snowmobile-related injuries in all age groups. From January 1993 to December 1995, there were 10,628 snowmobile-related injuries to children younger than 16 years. 3 Risk Factors and Severity Studies from the United States, Canada, and Sweden conclude that careless snowmobile operation is a factor contributing to snowmobile injury. Other contributing factors include the use of alcohol, excessive speeds, suboptimal lighting, drowning, and lack of protection of head and limbs.