Flying through the snow-enveloped countryside, I could only get a glimpse of the soaring oak and maples that littered the perfectly groomed trail. I had the throttle wide open to keep up with my dad, for he had a more powerful sled than I did. But as I thought about some stories I had recently heard about the abuse of snowmobiling by inexperienced drivers, I let up a little and eventually my dad realized and he let up as well. I continued to think about the stories of younger drivers drag racing and speeding and it really made me more cautious. There are no seatbelts. One little bump in the trail could throw my sled to the side and I could hit a tree or roll my sled. I have been in this sport since I was 12, when I got my very own sled for Christmas, yet I do not believe the laws regulating snowmobilers are suitable for the danger of the sport. .
In Michigan, a child of any age can operate a snowmobile if they are under direct supervision of their parent or guardian or if the child is on property owned or controlled by the parent. Wow! What if someone owns 20 acres of property and they allow there eight year old to tear around on a snowmobile without their supervision? The child could wonder off the property into public areas, putting him and others in danger. .
If the child is between 12 and 17 years of age, there must be a 21 year old supervising them or they must have with them a valid snowmobile safety certificate, but they may not cross a road without the certificate. Anyone who is at least 17 years of age can operate these dangerous machines wherever snowmobiling is allowed and without any supervision. These laws for 12 years and older are a little more proper, but a child under the age of 17 should not be able to operate a sled at all. .
In 1998, there were 2.3 million registered snowmobiles in the United States alone. The economic impact "including clothing, accessories, equipment and vacation was over $9 billion dollars" (Rice 1).