Driving Tips > Safety Columns
Snowmobilers: avoid breaking the ice
Covered in white, some rivers and lakes may look safe to ride on. Unfortunately, they're not. In places, the ice is too thin and weak to support the weight of a snowmobile.
Freezing is slow under a blanket of snow
With about 40 centimeters of snow falling since mid November, snowmobilers have had lots to cheer about.
The problem is that snow blanketed the rivers and lakes before they had a chance to fully freeze up. The snow acts as insulator, causing ice to form very slowly.
So, if you ride on rivers or lakes now, you risk plunging through the ice – with tragic results.
For safety sake, stay off rivers and lakes
Whenever possible, avoid riding on frozen lakes and rivers because you can't be sure how strong the ice is. Also, the condition of the ice can change quickly.
It's best to stick to trails on dry land.
If you must travel over lakes and rivers, wait until we've had a longer spell
of freezing temperatures.
For more information, watch
The 60-Second Driver on CTV, or visit the following sections on this website:
- Road Safety's Snowmobiling Section
- Snowmobile Safety in Driving Tips
- You can access the 60-Second Driver video on Snowmobiles directly
