Snowmobile safety is a beloved scene from a classic Christmas film that’s instantly recognizable to viewers all over the world. High atop a snow-covered hill and surrounded by his family, Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase) applies a non-nutritive cereal varnish to his sled, hoping the slickness will propel him faster down the slope. Seconds later, he gets his wish, and with a shot blast he careens down the mountain at breakneck speed, smashing through snow drifts and wooden outhouses before skidding into a steel ice box.
Although obviously played for laughs, Chevy Chase’s hijinks in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation underscores the need for safety in outdoor winter sports. Even something as innocuous as sledding can become hazardous if people don’t respect the rules or unnecessarily augment their vehicles or equipment. This is especially true for outdoor winter sports that already carry a measure of inherent risk, like skiing or snowmobiling.
With this year’s winter season in its infancy, now is as good a time as any to review the rules of snowmobile safety, as well as illustrate how Motovan helps prepare its customers to live those rules every time they rev up to ride.
THE TOP THREE SAFETY CONCERNS
The euphoric feeling of skimming the snow at top speed on your snowmobile as the winter sun slowly sets on the horizon is truly incomparable, which is why doing it safely is of paramount importance. After all, any rider wants to ensure they maximize their time outdoors both in frequency and duration, and that requires both you and your equipment to be damage-free.
Some of the most important things to consider when it comes snowmobile safety centers on three areas: 1) keeping your body (especially your head) protected, 2) keeping your body warm and avoiding hypothermia, and 3) keeping your equipment functional and performing at optimal levels.
Motovan has its customers covered on all three points with clothing and equipment that will keep them and their equipment protected and warm through even the harshest winter season.
Visibility is a concern for the rider of any sports vehicle, but even more so for snowmobilers. Firstly, strong winds kicking up swaths of white powder or an impromptu snowfall can severely hamper visibility. Secondly, light reflecting off snow or ice can be blinding enough to lead to an unwanted accident. Lastly, falling ice or debris from trees or frozen shrubs can cause injury to the eyes, face, or neck.
In light of all these hazards, the first rule of snowmobile safety is getting yourself a good helmet, like ZOX’S CONDOR SVS. Lightweight and practical, the CONDOR SVS has a large eye port for improved visibility and an integrated inner sun shield (Sun Visor System) that keeps the light from adversely affecting visibility on even the brightest of days. The helmet also has a removable and washable interior lining and includes a double/electric shield for optimum warmth and comfort.
A big part of snowmobile safety is knowing the terrain you’ll be riding through. That means keeping abreast of weather conditions and knowing the lay of the land better than your own reflection. After all, the last thing any snowmobiler wants is to get lost in the middle of a snowstorm.
Granted, that’s a worst-case scenario that thankfully doesn’t happen too often, but keeping warm in extremely cold temperatures is something every snowmobiler will face, especially if you’re one who likes to maximize their time outdoors.
HEAT DEMON has engineered a way to stop the cold in its tracks with its HIGH PERFORMANCE HEATED SLEEVELESS VEST. When worn underneath your jacket, the vest delivers a whopping, lightning-fast heat coming from 38 watts of power! This functional and comfortable vest offers even heat distribution across its surface to promote full body warmth on even the most frigid of days!
ULTIMAX XS SNOWMOBILE BELTS
Making sure your snowmobile is in tip-top shape may seem like a no-brainer, but the hustle and bustle of everyday life can sometimes keep you from performing the maintenance and upkeep necessary to keep your machine at optimal performance levels.
One of the most vital yet taken-for-granted parts of a snowmobile is its drive belt, which keeps that happy connection between your engine power and the sled’s track functioning. ULTIMAX’S XS SNOWMOBILE BELT delivers peak power and peak efficiency for screaming high-performance on the track or trail. Designed for high horsepower sleds, the ULTIMAX XS SNOWMOBILE BELT assures you of superior performance and longer belt life through a high-temperature rubber compound that can withstand the power of today’s biggest sleds. The new belt design gives better consistency and greater resistance to flex cracks, allowing you to ride harder and longer with consistent performance and ultimate grip!
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