The perils of snowmobiling.

Snowmobiling is a popular winter sport in Wisconsin, but it can result in serious injury and death. From 1998-2002, 1090 people in Wisconsin were hospitalized due to injuries related to snowmobiling. From 2002 to 2004, 51 snowmobile-related fatalities were reported to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Multiple risk factors exist for snowmobile injury and death, with alcohol consumption and male gender being the 2 largest associated risks. Many of the risk factors are modifiable, and health care professionals can facilitate snowmobiling-related injury prevention.