I wear a blaze orange helmet — and a Tekvest chest protector — to be safe, and fact is that most other people who work in the snowmobile industry do, too. There’s a reason that snowmobile racers are required to have 144 square inches of international orange on their helmets; it’s so they can be seen by other racers.
I’m not a racer, nor do I pretend to be one. I ride for a living, and I ride a lot, so with that the chance to fall victim to one of the sport’s inherent risks increases. Wearing a bright-orange helmet makes my head more visible through snow dust to reduce the chance I’ll be struck by another sled should I have an off or when I’m in motion, not to mention it helps followers find their way down the trail — keeping them safer, too.
No other helmet color that I’ve seen on the trail is as visible as blaze orange; not dull orange, not yellow, not red, not green. What’s the least visible? White, gray and black (especially matte black) blends into the winter landscape. When you shop for a snowmobile helmet, consider buying one that’s bright orange, it could save your hide.
— Andy Swanson, Snow Goer magazine managing editor
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