Snowmobiling is one of the most dangerous sports in Canada, a report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) indicates (see page 739).
Major Injury in Canada 2002 indicates that 16% of severe sports and recreational injuries during 2000/2001 were caused by snowmobile accidents, a much higher rate than for winter sports such as downhill skiing (6%) and snowboarding (5%).
The data were collected from 30 trauma units in 7 provinces (facilities in Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island did not participate). The study considered only the 92 most severe snowmobile- related injuries, which resulted in an average hospital stay of 2 weeks, including time in intensive care. Alcohol use was a factor in 26% of the cases. “[That] number … is way too high,” says Julian Martalog, the study's lead analyst.
Most of those severely injured on snowmobiles were male (85%), and the average age was 33.
Overall, snowmobiling ranks second only to cycling (18%) in terms of severe injuries incurred through sports and recreational activities. More than 250 000 snowmobiles are registered across Canada. Most are in Ontario and Quebec, where 76% of the severe injuries occurred.
The study, which used an international index to rate severity, found that snowmobilers had more severe injuries than participants in other winter sports. CIHI does not know if the number of severe injuries is rising in the sport, but data indicate that over the last 5 years there has been a 20% decrease in the number of snowmobile-related injuries, regardless of severity. — Laura Aiken, CMAJ
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