Snowmobile with lights showing at night

Night Riding

While riding a snowmobile at night can be enjoyable, extra precautions are required.

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Night Riding

Snowmobiling at night poster
  • Be certain your headlight, taillight, and brake light are all working before you leave. Check them frequently and keep ice and snow buildup cleared while riding
  • Always reduce speeds when riding at night since visibility is far less than in daytime conditions
  • It may be safest to stay on marked trails when riding at night rather than riding in off-trail areas such as frozen lakes, ungroomed roads, or meadows and fields
  • Always obey all signs and posted regulations, particularly curfews, sound laws, and speed limits
  • Always be prepared to stop for anything at a moment's notice, particularly wildlife, which often moves along or across trails at night
  • A snowmobile's headlight illuminates only about 200 feet in front of your snowmobile. If you're driving faster than about 45 miles per hour, you're likely 'overriding your headlight'—meaning you're going so fast that you pass through the area illuminated by your headlight before you can stop safely. Slow down at night!

Overriding Headlights Educational Video