Kids Sleds and Regulations

[Sgt. Schlitz]

I have the opportunity to purchase a Mini Z from a relative for my kids. Looking into the regulations and wondering if anyone has experence with kids under 14 operating a snowmobile like this on a public lake? Normaly it would be used on private land but if I were to be ice fishing could the kid take the snowmobile and ride around me legally say with in 100 yards? From the regulations I interpret it to be OK

From the Regulations:

Without a snowmobile safety certificate, a person under the age of

14 years may operate a snowmobile only if they are supervised or

accompanied by one of the following: parent, legal guardian, or other

person 18 years of age or older designated by the parent or guardian.

The supervising or accompanying adult needs to be close enough to be

able to direct the youth’s operation of their snowmobile. This exception

does not allow an operator under the age of 14 to cross a public road.

[Dave S]

100 yards would not be considered close enough to direct the kids operation of the machine. I'm speaking based on many days alongside COs during safety training classes.

I may be preaching to the choir here, but you owe it to your kids to put them through training. There's a lot of great volunteers throughout the state who give their time to teach kids the many aspects of the sport that many parents take for granted. Especially being on a lake, the information they learn from a snowmobile safety course could save their life......or yours for that matter.