A reminder: snowmobile safely

BLACK CREEK - There have been 15snowmobile fatalities this winter.  That's five more than all of last season.  The number of deaths had dropped for 7 years since night time speed limits were established.

For many snowmobilers safety is a top priority. They hope it is for their peers too.

"Defensive driving.  You wanna know the person coming at you is operating safely on the trails," said Bruce Learman.

DNR Recreational Safety Warden Jeremy Cords told FOX 11 the 15 snowmobiling deaths this season in Wisconsin means it's time to review the rules on the trails.  Cords said there are three particularly deadly factors.

"The nighttime operation and speed and alcohol, those three.  When they all come together it's a recipe for disaster," said Cords.

Riders say one of the biggest safety issues for them is making sure other people stay on the marked trails.

"If you venture off the trails, you never know what's under there, whether it's a stone, a log or a piece of farm equipment buried in the snow," said Gary Timm.

Cords told us the amount of snow is likely another factor in the number of deaths.

"The last few years the snow was really finicky as far as getting enough snow to really snowmobile," explained Cords.

Which prevented some accidents.  However, the amount of snow may not play a major role. The last winter with a similar snowfall was the 2010-2011 season.  The DNR says there were only ten deaths in total that winter.

Cords said the temperatures have been slightly warmer this year, which can create dangerous conditions on the ice.

"So you've gotta really be thinking about what you're doing, how thick is the ice?  Have you been out there before?"  explained Cords.

Snomobilers told us staying safe takes common sense, but they say, it's imperative, because 15 deaths is too many.

"We wanna try and cut that number down to zero if we can," said Learman.

And as a reminder, drinking and snowmobiling isn't just dangerous. It's expensive.  According to Cords, if you're caught you could get a 500-dollar ticket for a first offense.