Make this snowmobile season a rail-safe one
It may not officially be winter yet, but for most of Canada, the weather outside says otherwise. Mother Nature has already covered much of the country in a blanket of snow—which has snowmobilers as excited as a kid on Christmas morning.
But Operation Lifesaver (OL) wants to remind Canadians that if they’re heading out on a snowmobile, they should steer clear of train tracks to stay safe. Tracks aren’t trails; trains are remarkably fast and quiet, and train-vehicle collisions can happen in a split-second. Plus, a snowmobile’s loud engine—as well as a rider’s helmet and other gear—can mask the sound of oncoming trains. Snowstorms can also reduce visibility, making it hard to see a train coming down the tracks.
Trains and snowmobiles can be a deadly mix
When snowmobilers use railway tracks and rights-of-way as trails—or don’t approach crossings with sufficient caution—it can lead to tragedies. In March 2019, a 69-year-old man in Chipman, N.B., was killed after the snowmobile he was driving collided with a train. In February 2017, another man died after his snowmobile collided with a train on a trail north of Barrie, Ont.
At OL, our goal is to prevent tragic incidents like these from happening.
Through our Look. Listen. Live. snowmobile-focused virtual reality video, we hope to show Canadians just how quickly a track tragedy can happen. The video gives viewers the shocking—and hopefully unforgettable—experience of what being involved in a snowmobile-train collision would be like.
So if you’re one of the more than 600,000 snowmobile owners in Canada, take the time to watch the video, and check out OL’s website for other resources to help ensure your favorite winter pastime is a safe one. It could save your life.