Snowmobile safety tips

It has been a dangerous – and fatal – snowmobile season in the U.P. this year.

With the amount of snow on the ground right now, it appears that snowmobile season will continue into April.

For the Schoolcraft County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Operations Division, patrolling snowmobile trails is something they do to let people know that they are watching  rider.

One of the best things to do to be safe on a snowmobile is to watch out for other drivers, and to slow down.  There are a lot of families on snowmobiles that ride slower, and curves can be dangerous on the trails.

Deputies will set up patrol near a busy snowmobile crossing and stop any drivers they suspect are in violation.

Deputy David Maddox says the number of accidents have gone down due to the number of patrols the deputies do.