Anyone have any experience getting a speeding ticket on a Snowmobile?

[ApexerER]

I was snowmobiling up in Moose River Plains on Saturday and got a speeding ticket from a forest ranger. I was riding with a buddy and following him I got snow dust on my heated shield and it had been melting. I was wiping it off with my glove every few minutes when I finally decided I needed to pull over and wipe my shield off. I pulled over and wiped my shield and proceeded down the trail to catch up too or meet up with my riding partner. I am riding along at a steady pace, not racing to catch up or driving crazy by any means when I see I have a snowmobile in my mirror right on my ass. I slow down to less than 30 MPH on two straight aways giving plenty of room for him to pass and he doesn't so I start riding again like I was and he is still right on my ass. So I pick the pace up and ride a little faster watching this guy in my mirror and he is still right on my ass. I am thinking to myself boy if I was younger I would just blow your doors in and get you off my butt. I ride a couple miles and my buddy is in the trail up ahead and I give him a wave letting him know I am ok and he takes off and now I am following my buddy again. We ride I am guessing 3 or so more miles to the ranger station that is at the entrance to Moose River Plains and as we go through the ranger station I am putting along and still wondering why this guy doesn't pass me. At this point I am really annoyed and I am going to say something to him. When my buddy pulls over to take a break and chat I pull up next to him and this guy pulls up next to me and I am going to go off when I notice it says forest ranger all over his sled so I say how you doing? He says good, do you know what the speed limit is? I said there is a speed limit? and he says yes, its 25 mph and you were doing 65 MPH at some points. I wanted to say yea that was to get you off my ass but I just said, I saw the 25 MPH signs but I thought those were for cars in the camp ground in the summer time. He says no, that is for anything motorized. We let you go up to 55 MPH but anything more than that and are writing tickets and asks me for my license and Reg which I give him. He then tells me that he is going to do my this HUGE favor and only write me a ticket for not following a DEC sign instead of a speeding ticket that will effect my license and give me points etc. So my ticket says something to the effect of failure to obey a DEC sign 65 MPH in a 25 MPH. 

So my question is: Is it possible to get a speeding ticket on a snowmobile that will affect your license?  I can't imagine the points on a ticket for doing 65 in a 25. I don't see how a speeding ticket on a sled can affect your license. You have to be 12 to ride a sled. What if I was 12 and didn't have a license or didn't have one now?

I was really annoyed. I can't say for sure but I doubt I was driving over 50 until this guy was pushing me. I got passed numerous times that day buy people riding way over 65 MPH. Every time we stopped somewhere the other sleds stopped the people were drinking beer. I didn't even have a beer at lunch. So in the 70 miles or so I rode Saturday I saw at least 40 or 50 people drinking on the side of the trail, got passed at least 10 times by people that had to be doing 80 plus, some I am sure pushing 100 mph in the straight aways and that day I was the problem. 

[Jeremy K]

Sounds like a BS ticket , i would fight it and see if he shows up ,then i would tell the judge how this maniac who later turned out to be the forest ranger was all over your back end and refused to pass even when you slowed up ,almost causing you to lose control a few times. I hear ya about the younger years ,if there was someone dumb enough to keep up at the speeds we used to carry ,there was a good chance it was one of your buddies.  Saw some really gross accidents happen when speed was the sole reason.

[Merlot]

No snowmobiling tickets in Florida so far....maybe a couple Jet ski speeding tickets....lol

[Culvercreek hunt club]

They hand them out up there all the time and they stick. Not sure how it effects the driver license though. 

[grampy]

I know it goes on your drivers license when ticketed on a boat. Years ago, I was on the Mohawk, fishing below lock 9 when all of a sudden this boat comes flying up next to me. The Sheriff Deputy says to me, he saw me fishing within the danger boey's below the lock. I told him I have NEVER, for my own, and whoever is with me's safety, fished inside of those boey's! And that I'm fully aware of the law preventing me from doing so. And besides, how could he tell exactly where I was from a half mile away, where he was observing me with binoculars? I was close to them, but not even close to being passed them. He wrote me the ticket anyways, and I just figured I'd send it in and pay it to avoid the hassle. BIG mistake!  $175 fine!!!!  And two points off my license! Also my insurance company contacted me with a slight rate increase!!!  My bad for not going to court and disputing it. Live and learn......

[BigVal]

I've gotten speeding tickets in my car, truck, jet ski, boat, and sled. I've since smartened up lol I'd just pay the fine and move on, with that said it's never put points on my license if that was in the picture I'd fight it, like a ticket received in truck or car.

[Larry]

Hey you can get a speeding ticket on a bike if your going over the speed limit. My ex- neighbor got a DWI on his mower while driving it up the street to the store to buy beer.

[ApexerER]

1 hour ago, Jeremy K said:

Sounds like a BS ticket , i would fight it and see if he shows up ,then i would tell the judge how this maniac who later turned out to be the forest ranger was all over your back end and refused to pass even when you slowed up ,almost causing you to lose control a few times. I hear ya about the younger years ,if there was someone dumb enough to keep up at the speeds we used to carry ,there was a good chance it was one of your buddies.  Saw some really gross accidents happen when speed was the sole reason.

I'm not going to drive all the way up to Inlet to fight a ticket that doesn't affect my license. Won't be worth the time, gas etc even if I was to beat it. 

I used to ride like a maniac on my sleds. If I am being honest I am very lucky that I never caused a serious accident when I was younger and hurt somebody else or myself. I still like to rip it sometimes when I can see a good distance. Who doesn't. But like I said to my buddy on Saturday, in the more than 20 years we have been snowmobiling we have never ridden more calmly than we did today and today is when I get a ticket. That ranger had to have followed me for 6 or 7 miles. Not one time was I out of control or on the wrong side of the trail, I slowed way down for the corners and stayed right way right because it is always in my mind how I used to ride. 

I guess I have to look at it as its the ticket for the million times I deserved one and never got one.

[Steve D]

1 hour ago, ApexerER said:

I can't say for sure but I doubt I was driving over 50

 

1 hour ago, ApexerER said:

he says yes, its 25 mph and you were doing 65 MPH

None of my business but anybody doing those speeds on a snowmobile especially in the Moose River Plains deserves a ticket. Even though some machines are capable of way more than that it seems suicidal to me.

The Moose River Plains  is very remote and I would imagine getting someone out in case of an emergency would be quite a chore. To each their own but I think those kinds of speed are absolutely nuts.

[Robhuntandfish]

last i knew it fell under parks and rec and will not give you points on your license.  Just a fine.  Trails are a  55 mph max in the state unless posted otherwise - many state areas like the canal path area are 25 mph.  

Police are out there for the same reason as on the road, to get people to slow down. Look at how many fatalities there are every year as opposed to hunting, which is supposed to be so dangerous.  Its always the 1% that the laws are for and need enforcing.  Sounds like you just happened to be in the wrong place wrong time. But speeding and snowmobiles has been the reason for so many fatals the last couple of years for sure.  And so much alcohol use as well. 

I just called a friend at DMV and they said no it doesnt go on license.  

  

[The_Real_TCIII]

56 minutes ago, Larry said:

Hey you can get a speeding ticket on a bike if your going over the speed limit. My ex- neighbor got a DWI on his mower while driving it up the street to the store to buy beer.

My uncle got one on a Zamboni, made national news

[ApexerER]

15 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

last i knew it fell under parks and rec and will not give you points on your license.  Just a fine.  Trails are a  55 mph max in the state unless posted otherwise - many state areas like the canal path area are 25 mph.  

Police are out there for the same reason as on the road, to get people to slow down. Look at how many fatalities there are every year as opposed to hunting, which is supposed to be so dangerous.  Its always the 1% that the laws are for and need enforcing.  Sounds like you just happened to be in the wrong place wrong time. But speeding and snowmobiles has been the reason for so many fatals the last couple of years for sure.  And so much alcohol use as well. 

I just called a friend at DMV and they said no it doesnt go on license.  

  

Thank you for contacting your friend. That is good to know

[ApexerER]

19 minutes ago, Steve D said:

 

None of my business but anybody doing those speeds on a snowmobile especially in the Moose River Plains deserves a ticket. Even though some machines are capable of way more than that it seems suicidal to me.

The Moose River Plains  is very remote and I would imagine getting someone out in case of an emergency would be quite a chore. To each their own but I think those kinds of speed are absolutely nuts.

I don't know the last time you have ridden a snowmobile but I can cruise through 75% of MRP at 50 to 55 MPH riding with one hand on the handlebar. Snowmobiles don't ride and drive like they used to even a few short years ago. Most of MRP is 4 or more sleds wide. Riding the way I was riding was NOT suicidal, more like a Sunday afternoon cruise. 

I can't say snowmobiling isn't dangerous. It is but that is because of people driving crazy speeds and by crazy I mean frequently people are riding 100+ MPH. Mix that with alcohol and a failure to keep right in corners and it is a deadly combination. 

I used to ride crazy when I was younger. Now I am very aware of the dangers, slow way down when I can't see far ahead, and stay as far right as possible (hugging the trees) on all corners full expecting an oncoming sled that may be out of control. 

[Steve D]

8 minutes ago, ApexerER said:

but I can cruise through 75% of MRP at 50 to 55 MPH riding with one hand on the handlebar. Snowmobiles don't ride and drive like they used to even a few short years ago.

Nothing worse than to be out x-country skiing and have a snowmobile blow by at 35 mph let alone 60 or 70. We have had them pass us a number of times in the plains but never at those speeds. To each their own but those kinds of speeds on a snowmobile or boat just ain't for me.

[Robhuntandfish]

45 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

My uncle got one on a Zamboni, made national news

 

[left field]

2 hours ago, Larry said:

My ex- neighbor got a DWI on his mower while driving it up the street to the store to buy beer.

I kinda agree with this one.

[wolc123]

It is good to hear that you will not get points on your license.  Hopefully, the fine will not be that steep.   Law enforcement is under a lot of pressure up there, to slow snowmobiles down, due to all of the deaths and injuries lately.  It is too bad that you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it does not sound like your ticket was deserved. Writing tickets does slow folks down, and that saves lives.  

Several factors have increased casualties:  First,  the suspensions are so good on new machines, that the operators are able to maintain much higher speeds on the trails, than was possible when most of these trails were developed.   Second, the horsepower and top end speed of new machines is always increasing.  

Last but not least, climate change has resulted in warmer temperatures, less snow, and generally poor trail conditions for most of the winters in recent years. That, coupled with the booming economy, puts a ton of machines on the trails on those rare weekends when conditions are good.                

Edited January 9, 2019 by wolc123

[ApexerER]

18 hours ago, Steve D said:

Nothing worse than to be out x-country skiing and have a snowmobile blow by at 35 mph let alone 60 or 70. We have had them pass us a number of times in the plains but never at those speeds. To each their own but those kinds of speeds on a snowmobile or boat just ain't for me.

That would have never been me. I have always slowed way down for any one on skis or hiking. I crawl by them, wave and give them plenty of room. The trail isn't just for me. Although I am positive not everyone is like that. It wouldn't shock me if you told me you have been sprayed with snow with some of the people out there.