Two thirds of those killed in snowmobile accidents this winter were too intoxicated to legally operate a motor vehicle, according to a study recently released by the Department of Natural Resources.
Gary Eddy, DNR snowmobile safety administrator, said 15 of the 23 individuals who were killed in snowmobile accidents were over the legal operating limit of a .08 blood alcohol level.
Under current Wisconsin law, snowmobilers can receive a ticket for $627 for driving a snowmobile, recreational vehicle or boat while intoxicated. The tickets have no effect on individuals’ drivers licenses, according to Eddy.
The DNR is working with the governor’s Snowmobile Recreation Council, however, to change the law so receiving an operating while intoxicated citation on a recreational vehicle would have an effect on citizens’ drivers licenses, Eddy said.
Gov. Jim Doyle is in support of such proposals, according to spokesperson Lee Sensenbrenner.
Republican lawmaker Robin Vos, R-Racine, said he is hesitant about such a plan.
“We want to make sure there are stiff penalties for people who drive intoxicated, but tying them all together might be difficult,” Vos said. “My concern is that people who drive drunk … on a recreational vehicle … it would be hard to say they can lose their license and not drive to work because they had a problem on the snowmobile trail.”
Vos added he hopes to see more specifics on the plan before the final decision is made, including who would be entitled to give out tickets to the snowmobilers.
To help enforce snowmobile safety, the DNR holds mandatory snowmobile safety classes for all operators who are at least 12 years old and born after 1985. So far, the classes have had a positive effect.
During the 2007-08 season, fewer than 80 individuals received citations for driving a snowmobile while intoxicated, the average yearly amount, according to the DNR report.
Most of the tickets are given out in areas of the state that receive the highest snowfalls and snowmobile traffics, such as Eagle River and Hurley, Eddy added.
