Courtesy Photo This undated photo provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources shows DNR conservation officers conducting a snowmobile check in the Upper Peninsula.

ALPENA — The thrill of zipping through the woods on a snowmobile comes with responsibility to follow the rules of the trail, rules that may help save lives.

The Alpena County office of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources office has been paying close attention to snowmobile safety this season, especially after five snowmobilers were killed on one day on trails in northern Michigan, making it the deadliest weekend of the season for snowmobiling. Four deaths occurred in the Upper Peninsula and one in Kalkaska County on Jan. 18.

Nine snowmobiling deaths have been reported in Michigan already this season, with two of the incidents occurring in Northeast Michigan during the past month.

That compares to 15 total fatalaties last season.

One of the Jan. 18 deaths was a result of a head-on collision which occurred because a driver was not driving on their side of the trail. Riders are being reminded by a DNR safety campaign to “Ride Right,” sticking to the right side of the trail while adhering to safe driving practices.

Local DNR officers patrol area snowmobile trails to enforce laws and provide education for snowmobilers. Officers will sometimes sit at a trail intersection to look for unsafe riders, according to DNR Conservation Officer Jessie Curtis. Riders can be stopped any time law enforcement sees an infraction of rules or a potentially unsafe situation.

Curtis encourages riders to know and follow the safety rules for a safe snowmobiling experience. Riders are advised to obey stop signs, be smart aboutwhere they stop, and “definitely don’t drink and ride,” she said. “It’s just like drinking and driving — it never ends up good.”

Deer are also a potential hazard when driving through the woods, Curtis said, recounting an incident from the previous day of a deer jumping into the side of the patrol officer’s snowmobile.

“If it comes out in front of you, definitely it’s not going to be a good day for you or your machine,” Curtis said.

DNR officers issue roughly 10 tickets a week, with many more stops that don’t receive a ticket but may receive a verbal warning or word of caution. Be alert, Curtis warns; officers sometimes surprise a rider when they pull up next to them because the rider didn’t see the flashing police lights in their rearview mirror.

Some snowmobile trails that run across private property are in jeopardy, Curtis said. Landowners are pulling property rights from trails because of riders going off-trail, trespassing, or operating a vehicle with a volume that exceeds the maximum 88 decibels. As a result, trails may need to be re-routed at great expense or even shut down.

Riders are encouraged to use the trails respectfully, as well as safely, Curtis said.

Alpena County sheriff deputies also patrol local trails. Deputies voluntarily take on extra shifts when they have days off to help keep riders safe.

Sheriff’s deputies and DNR officers treat trail patrols like road patrols, issuing citations for such violations as driving under the influence, driving without a license, and not obeying traffic signs.

DNR officers are stepping up their snowmobile patrols after the recent deaths, hoping a focus on prevention will help protect lives.

“We’re definitely hitting the snowmobiles hard right now, trying to prevent these crashes, because nobody wants that happening,” Curtis said. “Our goal isn’t to just go give tickets, it’s to prevent crashes and deaths.”

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com.