Slow down in the UP

[berge75]

I see two ways to make the trails safer.

ONE, on the fast trails, groom double wide and leave a rib in the center of the trail to separate the flow of traffic. You cant Nascar the corner if can't run the apex of the turn (outside ,inside, outside). They did this on trail 5 some years back on the trail going up to Big Bay and I thought it worked great for separating traffic and it made passing safer too. On the tighter stuff and blind corners and hills ,cut another lane for separation if possible.

TWO, Park the groomers. Hard to go fast over 3 footers. Just like speed bumps in the parking lots.

 

[Pencefab]

I would say that 3/4 of the snowmobile deaths are caused by drinking and driving. There needs to be better control of that towards the end of day. I've seen people drink all day at the bar next to you and then get on their snowmobile. Then on the trail I would get pulled over for exhaust or sticker and the drunk group rides right past the officer or DNR. Once they have a drink or 2 they all become fearless!

Crack down on the drinking and driving on snowmobiles and I think that would cut that death toll down in half.

 

[jasonv]

Agree NO motor sports or transportation should involve drinking. No number of signs can replace common sense and idiots will not obey them anyway. That said, a well marked trail system will help everyone. Posted speeds near towns and dangerous areas should be followed and those are the areas to enforce with the steep fines and such. Outside of these areas people need freedom and should have it to include louder pipes or other things that just make some people happy. Really what is the harm in it. I have learned life is about compromise, allow the pipes (personally to loud for me so I do not have one) but keep the speeds slow in populated areas. I also believe that we have plenty of signs in most areas already but things like a arrow that mark a corner should also include a 35 mph top limit as implied by the fact the corner is even marked. If you cannot see over a hill or around a corner you must be on your side of the trail and reducing speed should be a given. It has been mentioned that people or groups must not stop at corners or over hill tops this should be common sense for most but new people to the sport should have this in their training. I do most of my riding off trail these days (too many bumps on the trail)but on occasion still like to see some rather high top end numbers. I would like to think I do this in relatively safe areas that I know in a way that does not offend other riders. With speed there is risk that I accept as part of what makes the sport great is the freedom to have a little excitement while limiting the high risk using some common sense gained through experience.