The Crookston Police Department would like to remind snowmobilers to use caution when traveling within the city limits, follow the laws and ordinances, and to be safe while operating snowmobiles. Crookston Police Chief Paul Biermaier reminds riders that to operate a snowmobile on a public road or trail, anyone born after 1976 needs a snowmobile safety course certificate or license endorsement. “Just a few things for everybody to remember,” said Biermaier. “Anybody born after December 31, 1976, has to have the safety training course certificate. You have to have either that certificate or the have the endorsement on your driver’s license. If you’re under 16, you have to have gone through the (field day) course. If you are over 16, you have to go through the online course to ride legally. Anybody under 18 needs to wear a helmet.”
Reflective material is required for safety, according to Biermaier, and you must have a muffler to avoid noise violations on your snowmobile. “You have to have front and rear lights that work when its dark out, you have to have brakes, and the law also requires that you have 16 inches of reflective material on each side of the snowmobile from the handlebars forward,” said Biermaier. “That’s so that at intersections cars can see the reflective material, so it’s a big safety thing. One of the other things you have to have is a muffler. I think we’ve all heard some of these that don’t have a very good muffler on them, and they are so loud. You can hear them forever, especially when its cold and there is not a lot of wind out.”
Biermaier said the City of Crookston’s ordinances closely follow state laws, including stopping at every intersection, whether vehicle traffic is required to or not. “As far as Crookston City Ordinance goes, for the most part, we follow the state laws almost to a T,” said Biermaier. “In the city, you can drive on the city streets if you are going out of town, back to where its principally stored, usually your house, or to the gas station. You can’t use it to be running around town. We have to stay off private property, but there are a few public properties that are okay. You have to obey all the speed limits in town and stay on the right side of the road. Another thing required by law on a snowmobile is you have to make a complete stop at every intersection, whether there is a stop sign or not. It’s for safety purposes, so make sure you are watching for other vehicles, cross-traffic, and pedestrians.”
One significant difference in the City of Crookston is nobody under the age of 14, even with a snowmobile safety certificate, is allowed to operate on or cross a street or highway within city limits. “Nobody under 14 can operate a snowmobile on a street or highway or make a crossing,” said Biermaier. “For the most part city parks, you’re not supposed to ride in unless it’s your most direct route. Not supposed to ride on top of the dikes, but you can cross them at a 90-degree angle. It’s mostly being respectful of other people’s property and being safe. That way, everybody who has a snowmobile can enjoy it, and we want everybody to make it home safe.”
Also, a reminder that there is a snowmobile safety training field day coming up on Saturday, January 4. More information can be found here.
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