by Jennifer Pritchett
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Dec 24/97) - Gerry Konek didn't have to die.

The 25-year-old from Arviat man who died earlier this month in a snowmachine accident has become the latest addition to some startling statistics on the number of people that have died on the machines in the North, some through careless behavior and some through no fault of their own.

While RCMP are still investigating the circumstances of Konek's death, Cpl. Bill Eubank said that alcohol and excessive speed were factors in the tragedy. So for all intents and purposes, the accident shouldn't have happened.

The simplest way to avoid being involved in an accident is not to drink and drive. It's against the law and drivers can be charged for operating a snowmachine under the influence.

Const. Steve Halliday in Rankin Inlet said that it's difficult to enforce speed limits for snowmachine drivers. Some drivers do speed, but Halliday said that it's hard for officers to stop machines that are travelling at excessive speeds.

"It's difficult to enforce," he said. "We're not into engaging into high-speed chases with snowmachines."

Halliday said that the best policy to remember is to treat the snowmachine like a vehicle.

"All we want people to do is to treat them like vehicles," he said. "Some of them have more horsepower than a car. There's an extremely high potential for injury or death."

Sgt. Tom Steggles, head of community policing for the NWT, said that the figures on the number of accidents on snowmachines is extremely high.

"There are guaranteed stats every year that there will be a couple of deaths (arising from snowmachine accidents)," he said.

Steggles said alcohol is a factor in many snowmachine fatalities. He urged drivers not to drink and drive. The numbers, he added, speak for themselves.

In 1996 alone, 41 people were injured by snowmachines and four people died, according to the motor vehicles division of the NWT Department of Transportation. While it's unknown how many of these were precipitated by alcohol, statistics show that 19.2 per cent -- almost one-fifth -- of all off-road vehicle drivers in collisions had been drinking or were impaired by alcohol.

"Alcohol and snowmachines -- the two just don't mix," Steggles said. "Alcohol affects your decision-making process and poor decisions can be fatal."