In The Snow

Safe Riders! Safety campaign reaches out and expands service

The Safe Riders! You Make Snowmobiling Safe campaign, initiated in 1995 by the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA), in conjunction with state and provincial snowmobile associations and snowmobile government administrators, continues to serve as a foundation for snowmobile safety training related activities in North America.

This year the collateral safety materials continue to be available free of charge. Those materials include a safety brochure, the snowmobiling fact book, decals, posters and the safety video series and all are available online. The Snowmobile Safety Week Campaign Action Manual is available to assist in organizing Snowmobile Safety Week activities.

The International Snowmobile Safety Week will be held Jan. 18-26, 2020. If you have conflicting plans during those dates, but still plan on holding a Safety Week during a different time, you are always welcome. The Campaign Action Manual will help guide you and ISMA can make the information you require available.

The Safe Riders! program continues to highlight the main safety issues that riders need to follow. The key points are highlighted in the poster series. Hundreds of thousands of Safe Rider! posters have been distributed through the years to the snowmobile community. The posters are used by snowmobile safety instructors who display them in the classroom and they are also placed in schools throughout the Snowbelt. Many are on display in warming huts and snowmobile clubhouses across North America. 

The key positions presented on the posters include:

1. Alcohol and snowmobiling don’t mix – don’t drink and ride
2. Know before you go – always check local ice conditions
3. When night riding, slow down – expect the unexpected
4. Respect private property – stay on the trail
5. Avalanche awareness
6. Cross roadways with care
7. Never ride alone – always ride with a friend
8. Stay in control – always ride within your limits
9. Take a safety course

All of these key points are contained in the information supported by the Safe Riders! campaign and are used by many safety experts to ensure that snowmobilers are aware of the key issues. The campaign continues to offer the Safe Riders! You Make Snowmobiling Safe reflective decals and the Take a Friend Snowmobiling reflective decals. These are available for placement on helmets or snowmobiles.

ISMA has a safety brochure, which contains the key messages and safety guidelines that should be followed.

Last year ISMA announced the safety campaign had 13 video chapters that had been created and placed on the website: www.snowmobile.org/safe-riders-videos.html. The videos can be viewed on YouTube or downloaded to be played on your computer or television. ISMA invites everyone to watch and download the video chapters. The videos are effective tools for use in your clubhouse and warming hut, and many organizations are now showing them prior to association meetings and functions across North America. They provide great background information and are short in duration.

To order any of the Safe Riders! collateral materials, contact ISMA at ISMASue@aol.com. Here’s to a great snowmobiling season and stay safe by keeping safety issues at the top of your mind. If you haven’t done so, like ISMA on Facebook.

New snow grooming sales representative for the northeastern U.S. region

Prinoth is proud to announce the appointment of James Egan as sales representative for the northeast U.S. Egan will be supported by Prinoth’s Gilmanton, N.H., offices.

In his past role, Egan was sales representative for a Caterpillar dealer in New England. Egan will be a great addition to the Prinoth sales team as he brings not only product knowledge, but also maintenance and trouble-shooting knowledge to the role. Customers will find him to be an amazing resource to help sustain snow grooming vehicle maintenance operations.

With Egan joining the Prinoth team, all resort customers will feel a continued and renewed focus in the market.