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State of Vermont resources:  operator's manual | trail signs | hand signals | snowmobile rules & regulations

The Snowmobile Safety Course

The Vermont Snowmobile Safety Course is provided by the Vermont Department of Public Safety in cooperation with the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers. This course will help you learn safe operating practices if you are new to snowmobiling and will increase your skills and knowledge if you are a seasoned snowmobiler.

If you were born after July 1, 1983, you must have a snowmobile safety certification card in your possession when operating a snowmobile in Vermont.

Each six-hour course covers the basics of snowmobiling. You will learn about troubleshooting, basic maintenance, how to trailer your snowmobile, cold weather survival techniques, basic first aid and proper riding techniques. You will also find out how to join a snowmobile club and where to find what the trail conditions are anywhere in Vermont. Finally, the rules of the road and the snowmobilers' code of ethics will help guide you to a safe, enjoyable time on the trails this winter.

When you have completed the course and successfully passed the final examination, you will be given a snowmobile safety education card and a Safe Riders patch and decal. These will identify you as a safe, responsible snowmobiler and show that you have pledged to do your part to keep our trails safe for everyone.

The majority of safety classes are held in the fall early winter. The classes are taught by volunteer instructors and sponsored by local clubs. For further information or to replace a lost certification card, go to www.vtsp.org and click on Safety certification/Snowmobile or call (802) 878-7111 ext. 2211.

Responsible Riding

Vermont offers more than 4,500 miles of groomed corridor snowmobile trails for your snowmobiling pleasure. These groomed snowmobile trails allow you to cover in excess of 100 miles a day and many times they allow you to cruise for more than 200 miles.

Last winter, there were more than 40,000 snowmobiles operating in Vermont. It is amazing when you consider that these snowmobiles have the ability to travel a combined total of more than half a million miles. Our goal for every season is zero fatalities and even fewer reportable accidents.

When you are out riding the trails keep a few simple thoughts in mind:

• Stay right at all times especially on those corners and on blind vertical inclines (hills). Sixty percent of Vermont’s fatalities in the last two years happened on blind vertical inclines and eighty percent were the result of excessive speed.
• Although our goal is for smooth trails, that is not always achievable. When the trails get rough, slow down! Going faster doesn’t eliminate moguls, but it might make you lose control of your snowmobile and injure yourself or someone else.
• Prior to operating a new snowmobile on the trail, become familiar with it and the way that it handles and operates. Above all, respect your snowmobile and the power that it has.
• Check weather forecasts before leaving on a snowmobile trip and make sure that you have left your agenda with someone. Also make sure that you have on the proper clothing and always wear an approved helmet, see and be seen. Your supplies should include a tool kit, spare parts and a survival kit. Never ride alone!
• While riding on the trails, always obey the signs. They are there for your information and your safety.
• Respect private land, please stay on the marked trail! More than eighty percent of our snowmobile trails are on private land and permission is granted only for use of the land with marked trails. Failure to stay on marked trails will result in the loss of the use of private land for snowmobiling!
• Use approved hand signals while operating your snowmobile on the trail and maintain a proper distance between yourself and other snowmobiles.
• Prior to operating your snowmobile on a frozen body of water, make sure that the ice is thick enough to support you and your snowmobile. Know before you go!
• Grooming of snowmobile trails is a never-ending process. Grooming operations may be encountered 24 hours a day seven days a week. Stay alert, there may be a groomer on the trail just around the next corner. Groomers have the right-of-way.
• Sound Pollution: snowmobiles are manufactured with exhaust systems that are required to meet predetermined sound levels. Currently that level is set at 73 decibels. All snowmobile manufacturers are required to certify that snowmobiles they manufacture do not exceed this rating. It is against Vermont law to sell a replacement exhaust system that exceeds the manufacturer’s original equipment specifications. Any replacement exhaust system must include precise information concerning the designed maximum sound levels of the snowmobile or replacement exhaust system. Violation of this law will result in a fine of $300 for the snowmobile operator and a $300 fine for the person selling the illegal exhaust system. Sound pollution annoys many individuals and threatens the future of our sport!
• Vermont has a tough ‘snowmobiling while intoxicated’ law. This law covers both drugs and alcohol. Please do not operate your snowmobile while you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it could cost you a lot of money and even worse, it could cost you or someone else their life. If you must indulge, the trail is not the place for it, wait until you are settled in for the day or the evening before you have that drink!

Operating a snowmobile can give you an exhilarating feeling. Its nice to get away from it all on your snowmobile. The miles of trail just fade behind you and the scenery, is just beyond words. But, remember you are not alone on the trail and the trail is not the place to find out how fast your new snowmobile can go. Slow down and enjoy the scenery, we don't want you to be the next statistic! There is a time and a place for everything, and the trail is not the place for speed. Arrive alive!

Responsible Riders are Safe Riders!