This year's WI death tally

[jredneck73]

Well I am all for it going on your driver's lincense . Shouldn't hurt the honest people out there who are sober riders . I've to have a CDL and that is my meal ticket so I don't risk it at all . It is up to you to decide if it worth risking your life and other people life . In the end it comes back to you one way or another .

[DamageInc]

I think some of you guys are missing the point here. It's not about drinking and riding on sleds. It's about penalizing your driver's license for things that are not related to driving a vehicle on the roads. Once they start doing it for DUI, they might start assessing points on your drivers license for speeding on a sled, or for driving your boat too fast in a no-wake zone. A snowmobile is a recreational off-road vehicle that is not related to your driver's license. It is just plain wrong to penalize a driver's license for anything that is not related to driving on the road, whether that is DUI on a sled or boat, or not paying your child support, or not returning books to the friggin library (yes, there are places that actually do crap like that).

If they want to increase the penalty for drinking on sleds, find another way. Impound the damn sled or something. But do NOT support penalizing the driver's license. That is a slippery slope that you do not want to travel down!

[PAULARIS600]

i guess they will do what they feel is needed to get the point across to those who choose to disobey the law. i too need my license to earn my paycheck. plan and simple to me, booze and getting behind something motorized don't mix well.

[AlumaDoo]

I agree with the whole idea. I think if someone rides under the influence and puts their life, as well as others' lives at risk, they should prepare to pay the consequences for it. Riding a cycle under the influence isn't legal, and the penalty is assessed to your license. I hate the idea of someone being drunk and coming at me at 80mph on a trail that is only 7' wide. Chances are we're both gonna be going down the middle of the trail. I hate the idea that my wife or kid could get creamed too. So what's the diference there, what if the drunk rider gets past me, but goes head-on into my wife and kills her??? It's the same as hitting a car on the driver's side or the passenger side. If it takes assessing points and penalties to a driver's license, I say go for it. It's all personal responsibility. I'm guessing that the same folks who RIDE drunk, are the same folks who DRIVE drunk. Eventually, YOU deserve to pay the price, not me or anyone else. SORRY guys, being an EMT and seeing the results of DUI, gets my blood boiling.

[Dirty Birch]

I can see the need for stiffer penalties for the few dangerous crazies out there on snowmobiles whether they have been drinking or not, but I don't agree with charging it against your driver's license. If they starting charging things that are not related to your driver's license, it won't stop. Next you'll get marks against your driving record for jaywalking, burning leaves on Tuesday instead of Wednesday or only having 4 life jackets with 5 in the boat. While all of these are illegal and should be punished, they should be handled in criminal court, not traffic court. I suppose if you have an infraction of any kind while crossing or riding on a public highway, I could maybe see it.

I could be wrong, but I don't think you have to have a DMV drivers license to drive a snowmobile legally, do you?

[Howler]

I tried to mention that point D. This law could open up a huge can of worms and you'll have more laws being dropped on us, as well as ticketing for whatever they come up with. Your insurance will be tagged, and the vicious cycle begins.

[DamageInc]

So would a separate license for a sled be a good idea?

I think it would be a very good idea. I'm generally against more government interference in our lives, but this is one case where I do support it.
I believe that a snowmobile safety course should be mandatory for everyone (with no grandfathering!), and the license could be issued when you pass the safety course. Then it could be revoked for riding under the influence, and/or for causing an accident by wreckless driving (i.e. by taking a corner on the wrong side of the trail). If you look at what mandatory safety courses have done for hunting safety in WI, it's really impressive (and you can lose your hunting privileges for violations, but they don't go after your driver's license). I believe that it could have the same effect on snowmobiling, but there can't be any grandfather clause. The tricky part is with people from out of state. If they are required to have a license (we could have them bring a safety certificate from their state to be issued a WI license), it would probably put a big damper on tourism.

If people think that penalizing a driver's license is going to greatly reduce the drunken wreckless drivers on the trail, you must be on crack. Does it eliminate them on the road? Nope, it sure doesn't. But a mandatory snowmobile safety course could make a big difference, IMO. Show them lots of gory footage from snowmobile wrecks, interviews with family members of victims, and drill them with the importance of staying on their side of the trail. On busy weekends, not a day goes by that I don't see some moron coming through the corner on the wrong side of the trail. Then they always have this shocked look in their eyes face that says "wow, I never thought there would be other sleds on this trail". And it happens in the morning just as much as at night, so I don't think it's from alcohol. You would have to be really, really drunk to be incapable of keeping a sled on your side of the trail. The problem is with inconsiderate, wreckless drivers who have no consideration for others. Give them a big dose of alcohol, and their wrecklessness and selfishness just multiplies.

[m_scott]

i dont see whats wrong with a off road trail license. Bike quad sled side by side and boat including pwc. I would een go as far as bicycle. Any thing that will use a funded trail. Have is so you must take 1 8 hour class pass a written test and then get a trail license. Then every i dunno 5 years you have to reinstate it by taking an online test or somthing. But in order to get your trail pass for your sled you have to have this id witch should be picture ID. And carry it. So when the dnr OR police stop you show them your off road ID and not your Drivers ID. Make the same regulations or what not as the drivers ID tickets inpoundment even jail time if unlafull enuff. How hard would it be to set this up???

But i do agree with snowmobile incodents should not be added to our Drivers License. Not untill all trails are maintaned by state and or City like the roads are.

just my lil 1 cent of mind.
o yea Abbie turnes ONE monday.... only 4 or 5 more years till she can ride in the back yard.

[PAULARIS600]

Mark - no you do not need a drivers license to ride a snowmobile.

as far as safety class - the last club meeting i attended, they brought up that this is in the talking right now and to expect it soon. - All who ride a snowmobile will be required to take safety class. and this will go right into the boating industry.

mscott - A early HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your daughter.

damageinc - no i'n not on crack.

i have a family member who was killed by a drunk driver - so i agree with what it would take to help get the boozers of the trails to insure my family's safety.

spanky - my sisiter is an EMT and the horror stories that she tells is something that would wake one up real quick.

[jredneck73]

I know that it is up to the rider to make up his mind , but if you chose wrong then and it kills someone then who should take care of charging the person with the murder ?!! I myself this winter was hit by a drunk on my sled . Now he had no insurance and no job . So now I spent my money out of my own pocket to fix it . The guy just basically got a slap on the wrist . So yes I am all for it .