Police step up snowmobile stops

The Scugog Standard -Feb 11 2005

The first weekend of Operation "Stop, Snow and Go" resulted in numerous charges on snowmobile trails and roads in North Durham. The results were:

• 266 Snowmobiles/ATVs stopped
  
• 14 Charges laid to snowmobile or ATV operators
• 135 Charges laid against drivers of motor vehicles
  
• 2 Criminal Code charges laid on a snowmobile operator
  
• 87 Cautions

The Durham Regional Police would like to remind all snowmobile riders to take care when riding on frozen bodies of water. The warmer weather that we are experiencing will cause the ice that was previously safe to become unstable and unsafe.

Once a person has entered the ice-cold water, it could take less then three minutes to succumb to hypothermia.

Operation "Stop, Snow and Go" sees officers from across the region combine forces with members of the OPP and the Ministry of Natural Resources. The concerted effort is part of the service's year long campaign called "Staying Alive in 2005."

The three-pronged operation that will first see officers targeting and enforcing speed limits on the highway in and around provincial snowmobile trail crossings throughout the region. The officers will also be concentrating on motor vehicles towing snowmobiles and trailers. They will be looking for insecure loads and improper means of attaching trailers to motor vehicles. Officers will also be out on the trails along with the Provincial STOP officers enforcing the Motorized Snow Vehicle Act, Criminal Code and Liquor Licence Act. The officers will be paying particular attention to violations in regards to insurance, speeding and proper documentation.

The final phase will involve members of the DRP partnering with the Ministry of Natural Resources Conservation Officers on Lake Scugog. These officers will be looking for violations of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, the Liquor Licence Act and Criminal Code.