Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs To Host International Safety Summit
Barrie, ON.; Friday, January 25, 2002: As the lead organization for snowmobile safety in the Province of Ontario, The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs has announced that it will host “Stayin’ Alive A Snowmobile Safety and Risk Management Summit” on Friday April 12, 2002 at the Holiday Inn, Barrie. The high-level, international conference, organized with the support of the Provincial Government through the Trail Safety and Sustainability Program, will bring North American experts and representatives from the snowmobiling community together. They will share the latest safety research and information, much of which will be valuable learning applicable to other forms of motorized recreation in addition to snowmobiling.
“The OFSC is using the recent Coroner’s Inquest Recommendations as a springboard to raise the bar on snowmobile safety in Ontario,” said Stayin’ Alive organizer John Blaicher, OFSC Safety and Risk Management Consultant. “We will produce an ‘educate the educators’ video and print copies of all presentations, which together will serve as a state of the art resource manual for all snowmobile jurisdictions in North America.”
In the two days following Stayin’ Alive, a select group of experts and stakeholders will participate in a closed door session facilitated by a leading business and social marketing strategist. The purpose is to build a three-year snowmobile safety business plan for the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs to ensure that everything possible is being accomplished to save lives and reduce snowmobile-related injuries in this province.
“ Since 1993, the OFSC has been a leader in snowmobile safety with the most innovative and comprehensive snowmobile safety program in North America.,” commented Blaicher. “But as long as even one snowmobiler dies in a preventable incident in Ontario, we must continue to discover new ways to help modify the behaviour and attitudes of snowmobilers.”
Experts confirmed for Stayin’ Alive A Snowmobile Safety and Risk Management Summit include:
• Dr. Robert Conn, President & CEO, SmartRisk, Toronto, ON.
Subject: Social Marketing and the Economic Burden of Unintentional Injury
• Mr. Richard Hermance, Accredited Accident Reconstruction Specialist,
Collision Research Ltd. Tillson, New York.
Subject: Snowmobile Accident Reconstruction.
• Dr. Leon Kazarian, Biomechanical Engineering Consultant, Bellbrook, Ohio
Subject: Human biomechanics in snowmobile crashes and the type of predictable
injuries that result.
• Dr. Brian Tansley, Professor, Depts. of Psychology & Systems and Computer
Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON.
Subject: Collision Avoidance and the Factors at Play
• Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, Ph.D., Professor, University of Manitoba
Subject: Hypothermia and the physiological effects of sudden immersion in cold water.
• Owen Smith, Legal Risk Management Specialist, New Liskeard, ON.
Subject: The Ten Commandments of Risk Management
The OFSC is committed to promoting safe, responsible riding on Ontario snowmobile trails by continuously improving safety standards, programs and enforcement through proactive leadership, stakeholder partnerships, public education and driver training.
John Blaicher (705) 835-2853