REGINA – Snowmobilers in this province will have to wear helmets and all operators will have to eventually take training courses if the recommendations of a committee are accepted by the Saskatchewan government.
And offenders of snowmobile laws might find themselves collared by a posse of local deputy snow-patrollers, said Saskatchewan Snowmobile Safety Committee chair Al Popoff.
The report recommends making helmets mandatory for all snowmobilers, with the exception of licensed trappers, commercial fishermen, prospectors, line cutters and anyone operating only on their own land or land they have leased.
But all operators and passengers under the age of 16 will have to wear a helmet, Popoff said. The report calls for mandatory training courses for those under 16 and mandatory training for all operators within five years.
Popoff said the committee is also interested in creating deputies to enforce snowmobile laws. Local enthusiasts might be given the authority to patrol paths and make sure snowmobile laws are being honored.
