Trail enthusiasts know that responsible use is more than just
courtesy. One snowmobile club has taken up the challenge of getting
snowmobilers included in other motor vehicle laws against drunk
driving. The following letter was sent to state legislators as well
as Mothers Against Drunk Driving- Pennsylvania. The Tionesta Valley
Snowmobile Club is a member of American Trails.
On behalf of the Tionesta Valley Snowmobile Club, located in
Sheffield, Warren County, Pennsylvania, in the heart of the Allegheny
National Forest, our Committee is approaching M.A.D.D. today to form
a relationship regarding legislation to address the problem of D.U.I.
relating to snowmobiling. As you may know, snowmobilers are permitted
to operate certain designated joint-use roads (traditional motor
vehicles and snowmobiles) governed by various jurisdictions ranging
from public lands agencies to townships, municipalities, and
PennDOT.
Currently, Pennsylvania law governing snowmobiles is very soft and
barely enforced concerning the D.U.I problem-a problem that is
unfortunately prevalent across the "snow states," as well as in
northern Pennsylvania. There are a couple of alcohol industry
supported rider safety programs, but they speak subtly to
"moderation" of alcohol consumption while snowmobiling.
Since we snowmobile where we live, we see the absolute need for
legislation to strengthen and enforce the law. As other groups
representing snowmobilers have failed to address this problem, we
believe it is our responsibility to seek solutions. To operate a
snowmobile on joint-use roads in order to legally access food, fuel,
and lodging, we feel that a snowmobiler should have to obey the
"rules of the road" no differently than a motorist.
Our Club, devoted to family snowmobiling and the betterment of
snowmobile trails in the Allegheny National Forest for the past
twenty years, has been successful in getting the Warren County
Township Supervisor's Association to sponsor a resolution to their
central body in Hershey in the Fall of 1995, supporting mandatory
liability insurance required to operate a snowmobile on any joint-use
road in Pennsylvania, a valid operator's license required to operate
these roads, and increased law enforcement to address these
issues.
So far, our Committee achieved the mandatory liability insurance. We
need support for the other two measures. We want to network with
organizations such as M.A.D.D. to successfully achieve our goal, and
we would appreciate your help.
There are four snowmobile safety instructors in our Club with over
eighty years of combined experience in teaching the Pennsylvania
Certified Snowmobile Safety Course. Last March we taught a week-long
safety course as part of Outdoor Education at Sheffield High
School.
We believe that this quest is achievable and will have a significant
impact on both snowmobilers and other tourists to the Allegheny
National Forest region. It will also empower law enforcement to deal
with this issue throughout the rest of the state. Because we
recognize the potential of this effort, our Committee wishes to open
a dialogue with you and move forward with legislation.
For more information, contact Edwin W. Atwood, President,Tionesta
Valley Snowmobile Club, 256 Mohawk Avenue Extension, Warren, PA
16365; Phone/fax: 814/726-2774; e-mail: Wingsley@penn.com