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November 2000

Background

• A snowmobile is a motorized sled designed for traveling across snow-covered terrain. Some models can travel up to 110 miles per hour and weigh up to 600 pounds.
• Approximately 56% of the 1.6 million registered snowmobiles in the U.S. are in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin.
• Over four million snowmobilers reside in North America. Seventy-five percent of snowmobile owners are married, most with children living at home.
• Snowmobiling generates an estimated $9.2 billion in revenue, including millions of winter tourism dollars that support local economies.

National Youth Injury Estimates (1990-1998)

• From 1990 to 1998, an estimated 24,000 snowmobile-related injuries were sustained by youth under 18 years of age. Youth experienced 21% of all snowmobile-related injuries.¹
• 1990-1998 national injury data revealed upper extremities (28%), head/neck/face (28%), and lower extremities (20%) as the most commonly injured body parts.²
• The most common injuries included contusion/abrasion (31%), laceration/puncture (22%), and fracture (20%).²
• Non-fatal youth injuries most commonly occurred as a result of being thrown from or flipping a snowmobile (26%) or hitting a stationary object (24%).²
• From 1990 to 1998, 75 youth were fatally injured in snowmobile incidents in the U.S. Two-thirds of the deaths were due to head and neck injuries.²
• Forty-three percent of fatal injuries resulted from hitting a stationary object.²
• No studies have determined youth snowmobile-related injury rates, since the number of miles or hours ridden by youth are not known.
• Research suggests that prolonged exposure to cold and snowmobile noise and vibrations can lead to hearing and vibration-related disabilities among adults.^3,4,5,6 No studies have focused on youth.
• From 1990 to 1998, the total estimated costs associated with youth snowmobile injuries were over one billion dollars, with $104 million going to provision of medical care.¹

Risk Factors

Prevention

• No studies evaluating youth-focused interventions were found in the literature.
• Snowmobile design advances (improved suspension, larger windshields, tether switch) may improve safety, however no studies evaluating their effectiveness were located.
• State age restrictions for youth driving snowmobiles and safety education requirements vary. Regulations do not apply to private property.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that operating snowmobiles is inappropriate for children younger than 16 years of age and riding on a snowmobile is inappropriate for children younger than six years of age.²³
• The AAP recommends the development of a graduate license program for snowmobile operators 16 years and older.²³
• The Canadian Paediatric Society states that off-road vehicles should be banned for use by children under 14 years of age.²⁴

References

1. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. 1990-1998 Snowmobile injury estimates and costs for youth 0-17 years (unpublished estimates), 2000.
2. Rice M, Alvanos L, Kenney B. Snowmobile injuries and deaths in children: A review of national injury data and state legislation. Pediatrics 2000; 105(3):615-619.
3. Virokannas H, Anttonen H. Risk of frostbite in vibration-induced white finger cases. Arctic Med Res 1993; 52:69-72.
4. Nayha S, Anttonen H, Hassi J. Snowmobile driving and symptoms of the locomotive organs. Arctic Med Res 1994; 53 Suppl 3:41-4.
5. Anttonen H, Virokannas H. Hand-arm vibration in snowmobile drivers. Arctic Med Res 1994; 53 Suppl 3:19-23.
6. Anttonen H, Virokannas H, Sorri M. Noise and hearing loss in reindeer herders. Arctic Med Res 1994; 53 Suppl 3:35-40.
7. Dominici R, Drake E. Speed on Snow: The motorized sled. Am J Surg 1970; 119:483-486.
8. Sundstrom I, Zetterqvist H, Bjornstig U. Snowmobile injuries in Kiruna, northern Sweden. Arctic Med Res 1994; 53:189-95.
9. Monge JJ, Reuter NF. Snowmobiling injuries. Arch Surg 1972; 105:188-91.
10. Pyper JA, Black GB. Orthopaedic injuries in children associated with the use of off-road vehicles. J Bone Joint Surg [Am] 1988; 70:275-84.
11. James EC, Lenz JO, Swenson WM, Cooley AM, Gomez YL, Antonenko DR. Snowmobile trauma: an eleven-year experience. Am Surg 1991; 57:349-53
12. Postl BD, Moffatt ME, Black GB, Cameron CB. Injuries and deaths associated with off-road recreational vehicles among children in Manitoba. Can Med Assoc J 1987; 137:297-300.
13. Letts RM, Cleary J. The child and the snowmobile. Can Med Assoc J 1975; 113:1061-3.
14. Injuries associated with use of snowmobiles--New Hampshire, 1989-1992. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1995; 44:1-3.
15. Injuries and deaths associated with use of snowmobiles--Maine, 1991-1996. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1997; 46:1-4.
16. Rowe B, Milner R, Johnson C, Bota G. The association of alcohol and night driving with fatal snowmobile trauma: a case-control study [see comments]. Ann Emerg Med 1994; 24:842-8.
17. Eriksson A, Bjornstig U. Fatal snowmobile accidents in northern Sweden. J Trauma 1982; 22:977-82.
18. Landen MG, Middaugh J, Dannenberg AL. Injuries associated with snowmobiles, Alaska, 1993-1994. Public Health Rep 1999; 114:48-52.
19. Gabert T, Stueland DT. Recreational injuries and deaths in northern Wisconsin: analysis of injuries and fatalities from snowmobiles over 3 years. Wis Med J 1993; 92:671-5.
20. Rowe B, Milner R, Johnson C, Bota G. Snowmobile-related deaths in Ontario: a 5-year review. Can Med Assoc J 1992; 146:147-52.
21. Martyn J. Snowmobile accidents. Canad Med J 1969; 101:770-772.
22. Koskinen K. Snowmobile traumas in Finnish Lapland: injuries to head, face and neck. Possible effects of speed and the use of helmet. Arctic Med Res 1994; 53 Suppl 3:5-7.
23. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Accident and Poison Prevention. Snowmobile Hazards. Pediatrics 2000; 106:1142-1144.
24. Canadian Paediatric Society Accident Prevention Committee. Two-, three-, and four-wheel unlicensed off-road vehicles. Can Med Assoc J 1987; 136:119-120.

Snowmobiles and Youth professional resource packet  pages:   

		Fact Sheet - Snowmobile Injury
		Selected National Snowmobile Organizations
		Safe Snowmobiling Strategies - What you can do
		Media Alert - Snowmobile Safety & Youth
		Selected Safety Education Programs
		Selected State Snowmobile Safety & Enforcement Organizations
		Safe Snowmobiling: What Adults Need to Know
		Snowmobile Safety & Youth: Model Press Release

		Fact Sheet - Snowmobile Injury
		Selected National Snowmobile Organizations
		Safe Snowmobiling Strategies - What you can do
		Media Alert - Snowmobile Safety & Youth
		Selected Safety Education Programs
		Selected State Snowmobile Safety & Enforcement Organizations
		Safe Snowmobiling: What Adults Need to Know
		Snowmobile Safety & Youth: Model Press Release
		Snowmobiling Hazards
		Snowmobile Safety & Youth Response Form

All forms are in Adobe's Portable Document Format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or higher to view these documents. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader you will need to download the program from Adobe's web site.

Once you have Adobe Acrobat 4.0 or higher, you're then ready to download and print the application.

(update: 7/24/02)

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