Police planned education effort
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Fort Good Hope (Oct 30/00) - Police stationed in this Mackenzie Valley community have had concerns about snowmobile safety for some time.
They have talked about it on the local radio station and planned to address their concerns at the local school last week.
Those plans had to be put on hold when three young men were killed in a snowmobile crash Oct. 22.
Const. Guy Lagimodiere said police are concerned about the number of unlicensed, underage drivers at the controls. Other problems range from faulty headlights, having too many passengers and, as in the case the deadly crash, alcohol.
"When you're in a community like this (snowmobiles are) a way of life," he said. "There may be a lot of focus on (safety) now but it's still not going to change overnight."
In his radio address, Lagimodiere encouraged drivers to slow down and operate their snow machines with care.
He said it is not unusual to see a 10-year-old child with several passengers darting down the streets of Fort Good Hope.
"Initially (the accident) will have some impact but the way people have always operated snow machines here is ingrained," he said.
"In the long-term we will continue enforcement and hopefully it will sink in for some."
