Snowmobiles not for city roads

Tammy Mcpherson
Post Register

As the snow flies this winter, those who are ancy to hop on snowmobiles may be tempted to take a little joy ride on city streets or county roads. If they are stopped by a police officer, they should not be surprised if they get a citation, Bryan Fullmer, St. Anthony's Police Chief, said.

Snowmobiling is illegal on most city streets, as is driving other vehicles that are not authorized for street use, he said.

In St. Anthony each officer has the discretion of giving either a citation or a warning, Fullmer said. So far seven citations have been given since winter started.

It is against the law to snowmobile on any county road that has been plowed, Tom Stegelmeier, Fremont County Sheriff, said.

In Rexburg people caught snowmobiling on city streets are usually given a ticket. Sometimes officers will give a warning if the person is young and does not know any better or if it is a first-time offense, Mayor Bruce Sutherland said.

This winter no one in Rexburg has been cited for snowmobiling on city streets, Rexburg Police Chief Lynn Archibald said. Numerous warnings have been issued, though.

Safety is one of the largest reasons that snowmobiling is illegal in the city streets.

"People don't see [snowmobilers] and accidents can happen," Fullmer said.

But safety is not the only issue.

"The other big problem is trying to catch them, because if they don't want to stop, there's not much we can do about it," Stegelmeier said.

Many snowmobilers have been found on the streets in Island Park, but because of the many fields, it is easy for those who are caught to race off, he said.

Snowmobiles are allowed on the streets in Ashton as long as they are going out of town. One of the problems, though, is that the snow banks are getting higher than the snowmobiles and it is hard for drivers to see them, Stegelmeier said.

A year ago a woman was killed while driving a snowmobile within St. Anthony's city limits.

"It's not a safe practice," Stegelmeier said.

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