Number of snowmobile accidents goes up by 23% in 2021

Personal injuries in snowmobile accidents increased by 23 per cent in 2021 compared to 2020, said Pohjola Insurance company in a press release on Monday, quoting Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom).

According to Traficom’s statistics, about 3 200 snowmobiles were registered in Finland last year and the number of snowmobiles has increased by 20 per cent in the last five years.

The growing number of snowmobiles has also caused an increase in the number of snowmobile accidents.

Most or around 90 per cent of the losses were caused by collisions or other types of crashes into objects like other vehicles or trees.

Swerving off the track has also been common. Crashing into animals, on the other hand, has been very rare.

In the past few years, the average compensation for these losses has been between EUR 2 500 and EUR 3 000. The most expensive losses were due to snowmobile thefts and fires.

In the last few years, most losses in snowmobile accidents have occurred in Lapland, particularly in Rovaniemi, Kittilä and Kuusamo.

The snowmobile season reaches its peak between February and March, and Pohjola Insurance’s statistics indicate that this is when snowmobile-related losses are at their most common.