Facial fractures and snowmobile accidents.

Snowmobile accidents are now common in winter; there is a local pattern of facial fractures associated with accidents involving these machines. Facial fractures connected with snowmobile accidents over a period of two successive winters were reviewed; 14 were found to be of special interest because of their severity and localized extent. Compared with motor vehicle accidents most of these fractures were isolated; the patients often had suffered only minimal trauma elsewhere. After reviewing the histories of these patients it was clear that alcohol, night driving, inadequate facial protection and the use of unknown terrain were common precipitating factors. Elimination of these hazards and the use of appropriate protective head-gear would probably reduced the number and severity of such injuries.