OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The snowmobile season in the Northwoods is off to an early, but deadly start.
Two people died in crashes on trails this week, compared to 13 deaths last season.
Deep in the woods northeast of Lakewood, snowmobilers make their way through the trees Friday morning.
“Our riding up here has been very good. The clubs have been keeping up with the grooming, and our trail traffic has been very heavy,” said Dan Guendert, Oconto County Snowmobile Alliance President.
But the trails can be deadly. On Wednesday, a woman was killed and a man injured after their snowmobile crashed into a tree in the same area near McCabe Road.
“Our trails are through the forest, and they’re windy, and hilly, and it’s an inherently dangerous sport,” said Guendert.
And last Saturday, authorities say another man died from his injuries after hitting a tree in Langlade County.
“With snowmobiles, you got to be careful. They are a lot of fun, and I certainly wouldn’t want to take away from people’s fun, but they do go extremely fast. They’re extremely powerful. They don’t have seat belts, or airbags. People just need to respect the machine, respect the trails,” said Darren Kuhn, DNR Conservation Warden.
Kuhn says snowmobiles can reach speeds of 100 miles per hour, and riders need to stay within their ability to safely operate.
“Once you get to a speed that you’re uncomfortable driving, that’s unsafe,” he said.
Guendert says snowmobilers should stay on their side of the trail, and use common sense.
“If you’re riding in a group and the leader is going too fast, simply slow down. Don’t try to keep up if you can’t. The leader will slow down for you. A couple miles an hour for your safety, is well worth it,” he said.
According to the Department of Natural Resources, there are more than 200,000 registered snowmobiles hitting about 25,000 miles of groomed trails throughout the state.
Comments