Snowmobile Saftey Course

[fishnowworknever]

Yep. Complete Bee S. If it's so important, than require it for everyone. The random date is a joke. The online class is a joke too- [iF] a guy wanted he could just click his way through it and print it off in 5 minutes. Bascically the same as just paying $50 for the cert in the mail.

Being from out of state originally- I had never heard of this law until It was presented to me in the form of a ticket. I sent in a copy of the certification and never paid the fine/never had a follow up in the mail.

So, even if they didn't tell you that you could do that- you MIGHT get lucky on the ticket if you do the cert right away.

I'm waiting on a call back from their local attorney's office. Since I should have the CD in the mailbox today, I'll quick take the course, send in my $10 and then send in a copy of the cert and see what happens.

[Dave S]

If the date on the ticket was prior to the date on the certification, not paying the fine will result in a warrant for your arrest......not trying to throw more fuel on the fire here. Yes believe it or not, unpaid citations will ultimately result in a failure to appear in court and a warrant.

Trying to play the game will prove to be an embarrassing and costly mistake.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the date wasn't just randomly selected. ATV riders also have a date (July 1987) in which anyone born on/after must be certified to ride an ATV on public lands or trails.

[Alagnak]

So the county cop that gave the ticket is the one who suggested I just send in the certification and it MIGHT get tossed out. So I did, and have never in 3 years had anything in the mail or a phone call about anything. So you're saying I have a warrant then huh? You'd think they'd maybe let me know at some point over the years, or would have come up on a background check or my coast guard renewal or something.

[Dave S]

you'd think you would have heard after 3 years. Maybe you got lucky. Might not hurt to double check though.

I do know there's people who recently found out the hard way. YIKES!!!

[DTro]

Yo Alagnak, I just checked your record. I don't see anything related to snowmobiling (like I do for myself ), just the road closed thingy

[leech~~]

Yo Alagnak, I just checked your record. I don't see anything related to snowmobiling (like I do for myself ), just the road closed thingy

Are we going to be reading about you in the paper for checking out private citizens records now?

[DTro]

nah, its all public record

[Alagnak]

Seriously, thanks for checking. That would suck, I kind of had a pit in my stomach just thinking about it! LOL It never came in the mail and I sure as heck wasn't going to ask!

Rather be lucky than good.

[fishnowworknever]

If the date on the ticket was prior to the date on the certification, not paying the fine will result in a warrant for your arrest......not trying to throw more fuel on the fire here. Yes believe it or not, unpaid citations will ultimately result in a failure to appear in court and a warrant.

Trying to play the game will prove to be an embarrassing and costly mistake.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the date wasn't just randomly selected. ATV riders also have a date (July 1987) in which anyone born on/after must be certified to ride an ATV on public lands or trails.

Thank you for the concern, but sending in a copy of my certificate isn't going to generate a warrant, I have 30 days to pay the citation or setup a hearing. If the certificate in the mail doesn't work, I'll be asking to have the hearing moved to the cities so I can talk to a hearing officer.

"Playing the game" as you put it, is the name of the game any time you get any type of citation.

I have to ask, judging by your comments you're either a LEO of some type yourself or know one very close to you...am I right?

[CrappieAttitude]

I took the cd course last year after finding this out. I was born August of 1977. If you think it is going to take you 5 minutes to do it, you are completely mistaken. It took me about 1.5 hours. In the cd there isn't an option to just breeze through it. You have to click and watch every single short video clip before you can get to the testing part. A lot of it was your typical safety stuff, but there were a few things that i didn't know firsthand. The portions of the test that I really paid attention to were the ones that pertained to the regulations for young riders. Each section has a 10 question quiz at the end and you need to pass with I think 8 out of 10 correct. After all the sections are done, there is a final 50 point test.

I was a little grumpy about having to do this as well, but I figured if it could avoid me getting a ticket later in life, so be it.

CA

[Dave S]

I have to ask, judging by your comments you're either a LEO of some type yourself or know one very close to you...am I right?

Nope not a LEO. Did safety training for several years for the DNR. I have to say people just don't understand how busy the COs in this state can be. The last few years I was doing the safety training I was lucky to have any LEO, CO or Sheriff's Deputy, available to attend the classes and discuss their portion of the training. When I had to fly solo, I covered everything, regulations and the safety information.

[fishersofmen]

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the date wasn't just randomly selected. ATV riders also have a date (July 1987) in which anyone born on/after must be certified to ride an ATV on public lands or trails.

That makes me think even more that it was randomly selected. Why is the atv reg 1987 and sleds are 1976? Insane.

[Dave S]

How many ATVs were around in '76?

Snowmobiles were a huge problem......correction: snowmobile riders were a huge problem in the 70's. Between trespass issues, injuries, property damage, snowmobiles were fighting the same battle that ATVs were in the past decade.

ATVs, or more accurately ATCs (Honda) flooded the market in the 80's.

I can see both arguments of a drivers license being good enough and also everyone should just take the course and be done with it. Over the years, I've received a lot of good feedback from parents who sat in with their kids and returned the following year because in their words, they liked the refresher course and felt the information and knowledge they gained during the course was of value while riding. As an instructor, you can't get a better compliment than that. Especially when they drive an hour to come to your course vs. driving 10 minutes to one locally.

[Macgyver55]

That makes me think even more that it was randomly selected. Why is the atv reg 1987 and sleds are 1976? Insane.

The dates are are not randomly selected. Both were set at the time the laws were passed regarding snowmobile certification and later again for ATV certification. The laws do however provide the benefit of granting the opportunity of allowing someone under driving age (12 TO 16) to be certified to ride a snowmobile or ATV. I'm sure it seems unfair and arbitrary, but it has more to do with when the law was passed. If you look at the links below you will find that a large majority of both snowmobile and ATV fatalities happen to operators that are not certified.

Snowmobile stats

ATV stats

[fishnowworknever]

Macgyver55 - are you saying this law was passed in 1976? That's 100% incorrect. Maybe I'm reading your reply wrong...either way the years were randomly selected, there's no arguing that.

Sec. 64. [84.862] [sNOWMOBILE TRAINING REQUIRED.]

Subdivision 1. [YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT SAFETY

TRAINING.] Effective October 1, 1998, any resident born after

December 31, 1979, who operates a snowmobile in Minnesota, must

possess a valid snowmobile safety certificate or a driver's

license or identification card with a valid snowmobile

qualification indicator issued under section 171.07, subdivision

12. The certificate or qualification indicator may only be

issued upon successful completion of the course authorized under

section 84.86.

Subd. 2. [ADULT SAFETY TRAINING.] Effective October 1,

2002, any resident born after December 31, 1976, and before

December 31, 1983, who operates a snowmobile in Minnesota, must

possess a valid operators permit or drivers license or

identification card with a valid snowmobile qualification

indicator issued under section 171.07, subdivision 12, showing

successful completion of a safety course designed for adults.

Whenever possible, the course shall include a riding component

that stresses stopping distances.

Subd. 3. [TRAINING FOR OFFENDERS.] Any person who is

convicted for a second or subsequent speeding violation in a

snowmobile season, or any conviction for careless or reckless

operation of a snowmobile, must successfully complete the

training course in subdivision 1 or 2 before continuing

operation of a snowmobile.

Sec. 65. Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 85.015, is

amended by adding a subdivision to read:

Subd. 1c. [METAL TRACTION DEVICES; PROHIBITION ON PAVED

TRAILS.] A person may not use a snowmobile with metal traction

devices on any paved state trail.

[tinytimmy37]

What a bunch of carp!! who the hell decided it is the job of the government to protect me from me?

[fishersofmen]

Thats correct the law wasn't established in 1976 when there were no atv's around so that theory goes out the window. It was obviously a random date I don't know why people are trying to argue otherwise. I didn't have to get the certificate until I was in my mid 20's. I'm sure there is a logical explanation as to why they changed the date from 1979 to 1976 too......

[Macgyver55]

Macgyver55 - are you saying this law was passed in 1976? That's 100% incorrect. Maybe I'm reading your reply wrong...either way the years were randomly selected, there's no arguing that.

No I'm not saying that, and I'm certainly not an authority on the subject either. What I'm saying (it is my understanding) when the law was originally passed to require training, they set the date at Dec 31 1979 as to include everyone born before 1998 (when I believe it was first passed) so that anyone riding a snowmobile had to be 18 at the time the law took effect. Subdivision 2 looks like it probably was written to cover those who were between 18 and 21 at the time. All I'm saying is that the dates were not just pulled out of a hat when decided, there was a reason they were used and this is about the best explanation I can give you.