The city and the province seem uninterested in enforcing laws on the use of off-road vehicles. Snowmobiles, ATVs and other mechanized vehicles seems to be of low priority. The death of a man in Transcona has police befuddled. Immediate charges are being considered but consultations with the province have to happen first.
We have seen an increase in deaths from a variety of off-road vehicles in the last years. There is also a lot of evidence of just an overall lack of consideration as some off-road vehicles cut fences down in Charleswood to rip up fields used for sports. Some of the interviews on various news media have indicated that some snowmobiles are using city streets and sidewalks to access the fields heading out of town.
The endless stream of death and injuries will continue so long as enforcement is completely absent in this area. An election is coming up, the law is a provincial one. Time for Greg Selinger and his NDP government to indicate that they will not tolerate anymore flouting of the law and they will move to enforce the rules.
It has been 11 years of death and destruction. Time to get off the fence and make sure that policing in this area happens.
I know I am going to catch flack for this but I believe some of those who use these "vehicles" exclusively for recreation fall into a particular category of mankind - stupid, macho neanderthals who instead of appreciating the environment (and I think about the ATV idiots near the Whiteshell) would rather tear the shit out of it.
ReplyDeleteOff road vehicles are not illegal and lumping all individuals that use them into one category is narrow minded at best. What do you suggest, banning all forms of fun?
ReplyDeleteNote sir that I used the word "some" in my remarks and nowhere did I call for banning.
ReplyDeleteI lived in the north where these vehicles were used for practical purposes by many. These "vehicles" are tools, not toys.
The consequences of injuring or killing someone have to be clear and unambiguous for a start.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment, it looks like no one takes the law seriously.