Play it safe – watch out for trainsWhen riding a snowmobile, always expect a train and stay away from the tracks. Trains can be quieter than you think, and they cannot stop quickly to avoid someone on the tracks. Because any time is train time, trespassing on or near train tracks could be deadly.
- Walking or riding snowmobiles or ATVs on tracks or railroad property alongside the tracks is trespassing; it is dangerous and illegal. Trespassers are subject to arrest and/or fines.
- Cross the tracks only at designated crossings.
- Never try to beat a train to pass. Trains often travel faster than they appear.
- At crossings, check before crossing for trains moving in different directions on multiple tracks.
- Distractions can be deadly, too; turn your cell phone and MP3 players off when you are near train tracks.
- Stay three or four feet away from railroad tracks. Locomotives and rail cars are wider than the tracks.
- It can take a mile or more to stop a train.
Watch the snowmobile-railroad safety video above that uses humor to stress the important safety message: “Ride the trails, stay off and away from the railroad tracks.”