The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources began a campaign in January to reduce the number of alcohol-related deaths and injuries to snowmobilers.
According to the DNR Web site, 23 people were killed in snowmobiling accidents last year. Alcohol was a factor in 70 percent of those fatal accidents.
In addition, snowmobile accidents causing 176 injuries were reported to law enforcement officials during the 2008-09 season.
Winnebago County had 17 citizen injuries, more than any other county in the state.
DNR began the Zero Alcohol campaign on Jan. 12, with press releases, radio ads and postings on the DNR Web site. Since then, conservation wardens have been distributing materials to snowmobilers during individual contacts and snowmobile club meetings.
Snowmobilers receive a wallet-sized card that describes the campaign and explains how and why snowmobilers would benefit from it. They also receive bright yellow Zero Alcohol sticker to place on their sled, helmet, trailer or vehicle.
The Zero Alcohol campaign is an educational program, rather than an enforcement campaign.
Wisconsin has laws prohibiting operating snowmobiles while intoxicated which are similar to those governing drivers of cars and trucks operating on highways. The same standards are used.
Anyone operating a snowmobile with a blood alcohol content exceeding 0.8 percent can be cited for operating while intoxicated. “The penalties are higher, about $600,” DNR Snowmobile Safety Administrator, Gary Eddy said. “Because there are no other penalties.”
Eddy believes the current snowmobile OWI laws are not having a deterrent effect.
“(Large groups of snowmobilers) haven’t been shy about telling you what they’d do if you arrest someone in their group.” Eddy said. “They explain to you that they’ve taken a collection of $50 from everybody and they’re just going pay out of that pot. That’s the price of having a good time.”
But Eddy maintains that the vast majority of snowmobilers do not drink while snowmobiling. Many say they do not ride on weekends or at night, because that is when the bar-hopping occurs. They prefer to ride during the daytime and during the week when trails are safer.
Bill Schumann is the president of the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs, representing 600 clubs and 30,000 members.
“We always have said we don’t want our people driving with drinking out there,” Schumann said. “We have always promoted no drinking while you’re driving.”
Gov. Jim Doyle has created a Governor’s Snowmobile Recreation Council to advise him on snowmobile related issues.
According to the minutes of the council’s July 29, 2009 meeting, the council went on record as supporting legislation that would link OWI citations received while snowmobiling with a person’s regular driver’s license.
The council sent a letter to the Gov. and DNR Secretary Matthew J. Frank requesting that they seek legislation to accomplish these goals. To date, the Legislature has taken no action on this matter.
Last year the DNR put together an ad hoc committee consisting of people from ATV users groups, boating user groups and snowmobile user groups. The committee was to discuss the issue of alcohol abuse. After meeting several times, the committee made recommendations to increase the penalties for recreational vehicle OWI violations.
“This is the first time that the various user groups have gotten together,” Eddy said. “Any bill introduced in the legislature will have the support of those user groups.”
Schumann is not against such a law but says that he would have see the bill (which has not yet been drafted) to look at the details. The association has always believed that more enforcement is the answer.
In fact, Schumann strongly supports Senate Bill 406, introduced last November by Sen. Jim Holperin (D – Conover).
This bill, if enacted, would increase snowmobile registration fees and allocate funds to alcohol education and increased enforcement.
In the meantime, DNR’s Zero Alcohol campaign goes on. Eddy said he believes it will be hard to measure success. Most evidence will be anecdotal.
“Our aim is to get more snowmobiliers to talk about the program,” Eddy said.
He wants to see more stickers out there and hear people start mentioning the Zero Alcohol campaign.
In the future, DNR will include the Zero Alcohol graphic and related information on all DNR publications dealing with snowmobiles.
According to the American Council of Snowmobile Associations, snowmobile organizations at the International Snowmobile Congress in June, 2002, endorsed a 0.0 percent blood alcohol content as the only acceptable level while riding a snowmobile.
Many states, including Minnesota and Michigan have programs similar to Wisconsin’s Zero Alcohol campaign.
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