A Dangerous Sport
Flying through the snow-enveloped countryside, I could only get a glimpse of the soaring oak and maples that littered the perfectly groomed trail. I had the throttle wide open to keep up with my dad, for he had a more powerful sled than I did. But as I thought about some stories I had recently heard about the abuse of snowmobiling by inexperienced drivers, I let up a little and eventually my dad realized and he let up as well. I continued to think about the stories of younger drivers drag racing and speeding and it really made me more cautious. There are no seatbelts. One little bump in the trail could throw my sled to the side and I could hit a tree or roll my sled. I have been in this sport since I was 12, when I got my very own sled for Christmas, yet I do not believe the laws regulating snowmobilers are suitable for the danger of the sport. In Michigan, a child of any age can operate a snowmobile if they are under direct supervision of their parent or guardian or if the child is on property owned or controlled by the parent. Wow! What if someone owns 20 acres of property and they allow there eight year old to tear around on a snowmobile without their supervision? The child could wonder off the property i
When my sister was 15, my family was traveling down an elevated trail when she got caught in a deep ski rut. A ski rut is a groove in the snow made by prior riders that catches one or both of the snowmobile skis and uncontrollably steers it unless the sled is jerked off those ruts. My sister, at that age, was not strong enough to jerk the skis and the sled corralled off the trail, down a ditch and into a tree. She was thrown to the ground and the front of her sled was smashed. Fortunately, the tree was only about five or six inches thick and the damage was fixable. Had it been a solid oak tree my sister could have been seriously hurt. This is an example I witnessed where the age and inexperience of the rider can result in an accident. It is not possible to just jump on a sled and be able to learn the do's and don'ts of the sport on one's first trip. I believe it takes repetition in certain situations and many hours of riding before one can be experienced enough to ride on public trails with other riders. Without this, a person will endanger oneself and others. "With the countless hazards associated with operating a snowmobile, training is a crucial factor in safe and responsible snowmobile operation" (Preboth 25). The states where snowmobiling is prevalent should fund private trail areas where beginners can practice and develop themselves into experienced riders. According to Preboth, newly licensed drivers should be restricted to snowmobiling during daylight hours on groomed trails only and should be caring around a learner's permit (24). Although safety training is "encouraged", it is not mandatory. In 1998, there were 2.3 million registered snowmobiles in the United States alone. The economic impact "including clothing, accessories, equipment and vacation was over $9 billion dollars" (Rice 1). Because a large portion of snowmobile owners is married with children (94.5% believe it is a family sport), "the education of child snowmobilers is a dilemma for injury prevention communities" (MDNR, 6). 18% of injuries occurring in snowmobiling accidents in 1998 were to 14 year olds or younger and 48% to people 15 to
Some common words found in the essay are:
Sport Flying, Snow Monkeys, According Preboth, age operate, ski rut, snowmobiling accidents, child age, age inexperience, 17 age,
Approximate Word count = 1436
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
