Safety First!

SnowTech test riders know first hand the risks involved with riding snowmobiles for thousands of miles each season. Case in point, March 21, 2005. Two SnowTech test riders were zipping along a rail bed just west of Bruce Crossing, Michigan and discovered what happens when a snowmobile hits a deer!

According to the riders, they already had seen several deer that day walking across the trail right in front of them, so they were being extra careful and cautious. This particular deer stepped up onto the trail and the rider (SnowTech Managing Editor Kevin Beilke) had only a second or so to react, just enough time to hit the brakes, start to turn the handlebars and prepare for impact. "There really wasn't time to think, it just happened. Once I realized it (the deer) wasn't going to get past the front of the sled and I knew I was going to hit it, I first worried about the deer coming over the top of the sled and taking me off the back. Luckily, hitting the brakes brought the rear end of the sled around to the right slightly, so when it hit the deer the momentum of the vehicle pushed the deer off to the left. The impact brought the rear of the sled up instantly, which allowed me to get a clean get-off and continue my momentum straight down the trail.

As I was flying through the air, I looked off to the left and saw the deer flying alongside me and the sled cart wheeling. I realized the deer was flying off to the left, then worried about the sled landing on me, but with the second cartwheel I realized it too was going off to the left. Still airborne, my next thought was that I needed to tuck and roll it out if I ever wanted to ride again. The idea was to not let an arm or leg catch that would pull me off center, and to relax as much as possible to minimize the impact damage. We call this 'doing the rag doll'; allowing yourself to relax and turn limp so you lessen the chance of injury.

My eyes were closed when I hit the ground, but they were open again as I tumbled and slid along the trail. I knew I wasn't hurt, but I just kept sliding and sliding, wondering if I would ever stop. I knew I was still going down the trail, but I had no idea if I was going to jump the berm and hit something, or what."

The second rider in line (Todd Emmons) saw nothing but a huge cloud of snowdust, so he braked hard and came to a stop right at the point of impact. "I saw the deer plop to a rest down off the left side of the trail, and the sled was just flipping to its resting spot just past the deer, about 50 feet down the trail. I wondered where Kevin was, and there I spotted the orange pullover and helmet, still sliding down the trail! I gassed it to catch up to him, but he was still sliding. Just as he came to a stop I was within a few feet. He laid there for maybe a half a second, then he jumped up and whipped around, ready to jump out of the way (hearing my sled right behind him)."

Thankfully, Beilke was able to eject cleanly from the sled as it hit the deer. The deer flew 40 feet, the sled cart wheeled three times and came to rest about 55 feet down trail, and Beilke was able to tumble it out safely and ended up an astonishing 162 feet down the trail from the point of impact!  

Beilke was wearing the right protective gear to help escape with little more than a bruised left arm and very sore jaw. He credits the UHMW protective Trail Pro TekVest by TekRider, the Snell and DOT-rated Bell Helmet, and the padded riding gear by Klim Aggressive Sled Wear (not a rip or tear anywhere), along with years of experience in the art of tumbling. "I've hit the ground pretty hard plenty of times riding dirt bikes, but never at the speed or distance like this one."  

He also credits the design of the 2006 Arctic Cat Crossfire 700, specifically the open foot wells that allowed a clean dismount and the precise braking response afforded in the moment of need.

The (170 pound) deer was smoked, the sled suffered over $5000 in damage (most of which was from the cart wheeling) and the rider very lucky. Since the sled was bright orange and the rider was wearing plenty of orange (helmet and Klim pullover) we concluded that deer must be color blind.

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