The Hudson Sno-Men Inc. sponsors a safety seminar on the first Saturday of December annually. The course is usually attended by thirty-five to fifty students of all ages. The course held in December 2004, had thirty-seven attendees all of whom passed the course.

The course is patterned after the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association’s safety education program. Snowmobile clubs and associations are extremely important to both the history of snowmobiling and its future.

The course is broken down into six parts. Below is a summary of the objectives of the Safety Education Seminar:

Part One: To familiarize snowmobilers with the; history of snowmobiling; noise levels compared to other activities; energy-saving measures, Snowmobiler’s Code of Ethics; and the Snowmobiler’s Safety Code.

Part Two: To enable snowmobilers; to complete registration forms; identify state laws which apply to snowmobiling; identifying the meaning of trail signage; and explaining the hazards and penalties of the use of alcohol and/or drugs.

Part Three: Education on the OHRV snowmobile; Identifying and understanding the names and functions of major parts of a snowmobile; identifying and understanding the use of control switches; identifying the label of certification and safety features; and the use of proper clothing for snowmobiling.

Part Four: Describing and/or demonstrating proper fueling procedures; steps in the pre-start safety check; procedures for starting the snowmobile; describing the driving positions; describing maneuvers for varying terrain and conditions; knowledge of hand signals; learning safety tips; identifying potential hazards; and the safe transportation of a snowmobile.

Part Five: Describing emergency procedures; describing a basic survival kit; describing the first aid for several major hazards of snowmobiling; demonstrating the use of maps and compass; describing procedures for avoiding and coping with avalanches.

Part Six: Describing several: maintenance procedures; storage procedures; pre-season checks; procedures listed on the troubleshooting charts; performing practical maneuvers on a snowmobile; and demonstrating smooth operating skills.

The New Hampshire Fish & Game Department is in attendance at these seminars and participate during the session, and close with a question and answer period.

The course takes a full day and finishes up with the final examination. Results are computed and Certificates are awarded to those attendees that pass.

For additional current information and applications please call; Harold Case at (603) 437-2848.

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