Joyriding
kills
Recklessness and speed
apparently killed nine snowmobilers last winter in areas
surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. In all of
the past four years, only 10 people died. The recent deaths
occurred when riders collided with other snowmobiles or with
trees.
“Anyone who is able to simply sit on a
snowmobile and press the throttle, can go zooming through the
forest at incredibly high speeds’ says Teton County Undersheriff
Lindsey Moss.
There are currently no restrictions
on who can rent a snowmobile and how fast they can go; all that’s
needed is a driver’s license. Although snowmobile rental shops are
required to administer a rudimentary safety lesson, Moss says,
“Snowmobiles have such strong engines that you might think you’re
not going too fast, but actually you’re cruising at over 100 mph.”
As the number of snowmobile rentals increases
every year, it is now common to see up to 1,600 a day on park
roads, say Yellowstone Park officials (HCN, 4/26/96). Although no
one died inside the park last winter, rangers in Yellowstone
investigated more than 40 snowmobile-related injuries.
* Bill Taylor
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Joyriding kills.
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