Yellowknife (Feb 01/06) - The chief coroner of the NWT doesn't mince words when it comes to snowmobile safety. "If everybody wore a helmet tomorrow, we would make a difference in the amount of deaths, guaranteed," Percy Kinney said.

Adrien Saulis of Polar Tech Recreation says helmets and snowmobiles go hand in hand and should always be worn. - Dorothy Westerman/NNSL photo SLED DEATHS Six NWT residents died in the 1990s from snowmobile accidents, most from drowning by going through ice. Since 2000, 15 people have died in snowmobile crashes throughout the NWT, including the two men who died on Prelude Lake Dec. 31, 2005. Of these, some were caught in overflow and succumbed to the cold. One went through thin ice on Prosperous Lake and died within sight of a cabin. Two drowned in the Mackenzie River trying to skip across open water. Another crashed into a grader that was parked beside the Mackenzie River ice road with its lights off. Three were killed after two snowmachines crashed one deadly night in Fort Good Hope. In at least three cases, including the Dec. 31 deaths, speed was a factor. Also, most NWT residents who injure themselves on snowmobiles are likely to break their arms or legs or suffer from head injuries. Those between 15-25 years old are at a higher risk of having a snowmobile accident. - Sources: Health and Social Services statistics; Northern News Services Archives

His words come just weeks after two men, Kevin Varey, 32, and Clifford Sangris, 28, died in a Dec. 31 snowmobile crash on Prelude Lake and days after a national report urged greater emphasis on snowmobile safety.

Every year, at least one or two deaths in the North can be attributed to injuries as a result of snowmobile accidents.

"I don't see very many deaths related to winter sports other than snowmobiling," Kinney said. "And most of them, if not all of them, are related to head injuries."

Canadian statistics back up that comment.

According to a recent report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), in 2003-04, 41 per cent of all winter sports and recreation injuries were from snowmobiling, followed by snowboarding at 20 per cent.

Most of those injuries occurred in February.

Data on the number of related deaths nation-wide were unavailable from the institute.

Yet, unlike seatbelt legislation, no law exists for the use of snowmobile helmets territory-wide, Kinney said.

"Interestingly enough, it is that way with ATV legislation and helmet use," he said.

Right now, it's up to individual communities to pass helmet laws.

Yellowknife and Norman Wells are two such communities that require helmet use.

Kinney said alcohol is "very often" a factor in snowmobile-related deaths.

"Part of the problem is that we have to change the total lack of legislation we have into a comprehensive, universal legislation in the NWT," the coroner said. "Second, we have to take time to change the culture of how snowmachines are used.

While there are people who would never think of drinking and driving; or sending their children out to play hockey without a helmet, Kinney explained, those same people would drink while operating a snowmobile, or allow their children to drive one without a helmet.

"Treat snowmobiles with the respect they deserve."

RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Francis Cullen said there is the perception that people are safe on snowmobiles. But Cullen doesn't share that enthusiasm.

"I think it's the most dangerous piece of equipment ever put on the road," he said.

"It's the frail human body against the frozen ice or earth. Lack of a helmet is like a watermelon dropped from a fourth-floor balcony."

Dave Abernethy of the Great Slave Snowmobile Association Trailriders, said there is no compromise with helmet usage within their group.

"It's 100 per cent, all the time, no exceptions," Abernethy said.

Why people would not ride with such protective gear is a mystery to Abernethy.

"Perhaps they feel they don't need it for the type of riding they are doing, or they were brought up to believe they don't need it."

Proper trail signage can help. The Trailriders are currently putting up safety signs from the GNWT along a number of snowmobile trails.

"We're going to be putting up stop and yield signs at road and pedestrian crossings, and some speed limit signs in and around the municipal area."

No matter what the speed, wearing a helmet is always a wise decision, said Adrien Saulis of Polar Tech Recreation in Yellowknife.

"Whether it is a $100 helmet or a $1,000 helmet, you are not paying for grades of impact absorption, you are paying for features or lightweightness," he said. "Any helmet is better than no helmet, regardless of what you spend."

Bob Kelly, spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, said one law covering the entire Territories doesn't work because of the unique nature of the North. "Snowmobiles are used for transportation for subsistence activities much more in the North than the south so one set of regulations might not be the best fit in any particular community," Kelly said.

Enforcement would be an issue, he said. "Snowmobiles are all over the place."

The department does, however, retain the responsibility to regulate snowmobile usage along highways or right-of-ways. Drivers must be at least 14 years old, wear a helmet and be driving a registered and insured snowmobile.

The department thinks the laws are adequate, Kelly said. "But we periodically review them to see if they need revising."

The department is currently working on forming an inter-agency group that would address all issues of snowmobile safety, Kelly said.

"In the short term, we are developing a public education program."