We at RideApart are a bunch of canyon carving, path driving, journey seekers who’re as comfortable discovering highs mountain climbing on the aspect of a mountain as we’re throwing a leg over considered one of Ski-Doo’s latest and greatest machines. And when you’re studying this, you in all probability fall beneath that umbrella too. But none of us are silly or unaware of the risks that include this life-style, and that is why now we have nice curiosity in Garmin’s inReach SOS data from the 2023 calendar year.
RideApart’s Executive Editor, Jonathon Klein, has had an inReach Mini 2 by his side for the past three years. Thankfully, he is by no means needed to hit the SOS button and contribute to this knowledge set. But based mostly on the stats you are about to see, you will perceive why he retains his little lifesaver someplace on him nearly on a regular basis.
What Were People Doing?
According to the info, the most typical exercise that inReach customers had been doing after they activated the SOS function was mountain climbing. This is hardly stunning when you think about the vastly other ways you may get into minor or main hassle on a hike. But what was stunning was the exercise that took the second spot.
Driving was the second commonest exercise folks did when utilizing the inReach’s SOS function in 2023. In reality, driving-related incidents rose greater than another kind in 2023. And taking the third spot are motorcycle-related incidents.
What we will take from that is that you do not essentially have to be on a grand journey to search out your self in a spot of trouble and out of cell vary. All it takes is a breakdown in a rural space.
It’s price mentioning that among the driving-related SOS incidents had been as a result of inReach customers had witnessed different motorcar accidents or automobiles that had damaged down.
Top Reasons To Use The SOS Feature
The prime cause that inReach customers hit the SOS button in 2023 was for accidents, which might embrace something from damaged bones, lacerations, or blunt power trauma from a fall. The second commonest cause was medical points, which might seek advice from issues like altitude illness, coronary heart issues, or gastrointestinal points.
Again, the most important enhance was in automobile accidents/points, which falls in keeping with the info highlighted earlier, displaying what folks had been doing.
Who Were People Triggering SOS For?
You can use the SOS function in your inReach to assist anybody that you simply discover in want. And whereas many customers used it to get themselves out of trouble, greater than half of the SOS triggers had been for a person’s social gathering member or third-party particular person. Bear in thoughts you could additionally use an SOS to report different emergencies, together with wildfires or automobile accidents.
The Most Common SOS Response Dispatches
Given that mountain climbing was what most individuals had been doing after they triggered the SOS function, it is hardly stunning that probably the most generally dispatched type of help in 2023 was helicopters, adopted by ambulances and search and rescue groups. But not everybody wanted dispatch help.
Almost 10% of the time that an SOS went out from an inReach, customers had been in a position to self-rescue with the assistance of the Garmin Response personnel. But the query stays: has this knowledge made you rethink whether or not you want an inReach in your life?