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Shawn Flindall hopes his car analogy would sink in with some snowmobilers.
"Speeding is an issue with snowmobiling in general and snowmobiles go fast," said Flindall, the communications director with the North Bay Snowmobile Club.
"My car will go 160 kilometres an hour but nobody goes into their car and races through the streets at 160 kilometres per hour just because their car can go 160 kilometres per hour.
"People need to remember that when they are sledding. The snowmobiles are fast but that does not mean we need to make them go fast. People are driving beyond the speed limits and beyond their capabilities."
That message comes on the heels of two accidents on Lake Nipissing this past week including one fatality..
"There have been a few incidents locally this year from an accident perspective and fatalities and those are always very sad to hear about so as we approach springtime and as we approach trails being closed we really need to stress and encourage people to please be cautious out there and that means dropping our speed when you are riding," Flindall said.
He cautions sledders especially locally where the snowpack is dwindling.
"Spring time is when everything starts to fall apart so we don't know over the next hill whether there is a rock exposed or bare trails or a waterway that has opened up overnight. We need people to be cautious at the best of times and right now they need to be very aware of those conditions," he said.
On the bright side, Flindall is impressed with a solid latter part of the snowmobile season, especially with the late start to the season.
"We did not get trails open until late January," noted Flindall.
"We thought that was going to lead to a real disaster for the length of our season because the season is often closed by early March."
He says it has been a great season for tourism with sledders coming from all corners of the province including many from the United States.
"It was a real economic boost for our area," said Flindall.
Now his hope is visitors and local sledders will slow down to avoid any more late snowmobile season tragedies.
