Tim Mckenna of West Gardiner, ME There are more problems out there on the trails from inexperienced people doing 20mph and not having a clue whats going on around them than the few idiots that are operating unsafely at high speed. You can't teach or control stupidity. I have ridden over 5000 miles so far this year and I do sometimes travel fast. Fast doesn't necessarily mean out of control. People that ride without helmets at 3 AM in the morning or who don't stop for road crossings at high speed because it is a game are idiots and we are better off without them. At least they just killed themselves vice running into and killing someone else. Putting more Game Wardens out there will not fix stupid people. I have been stopped 4 times this year by Game wardens in the county, checking registrations, checking for excessive noise and looking for drunks. They are out there and doing a good job. Every sled family or individual out there should be required to join a club and attend a safety course for general safety and the money generated should be required to be put back into trail maintenance and building newer safer, wider trails. Alot of the trails out there, especially in the central and southern part of the state are not safe in themselves. Trails that are maintained and paid for by the state should have to meet certain safety requirements in order to get this funding, such as trail width, eliminating 90 degree corners that have ZERO visibility, and requiring to be groomed on a regular schedule. If it doesn't meet those requirements, the funding should be discountinued for that trail. Anyone that has rideen first class trails such as in the county knows that you can have safety and speed at the same time.report abuse

therehere of portland, ME Speed, Drinking, Drugs, Testosterone.
Darwins theory on Evolution
Ski-mobiling
GO BOYS
LET EM RIPreport abuse

Scott of Farmingdale, ME Steve Jakes of Belgrade, ME:

Good comment. Especially, "It is to bad that anyone gets hurt ever...."

I'd be considered as biased, but I think Kaitlyn makes a perfect poster child for safety :)
I'm concerned with the month left of winter, so I hope no one minds this again:
Scott of Farmingdale, ME
Mar 2, 2008 6:59 PM
These fatal accidents & any accident are a large part of the reason I prefer to sled during the weekdays with my 3-year-old safety strapped to the front of me. I urge other snowmobilers to please operate sober, alert, at a reasonable speed, stay to the right, and always be aware that another snowmobiler, snowshoer, x-country skier, and even horseback riders, or large wildlife can be oncoming around that corner on the trail. So, again, keep the speed down to where you can at least try to see if there are any oncoming travelers (movement & colors that stand out) beyond the corners through the leafless woods, and have enough time to move over rather than barreling through & going head on with someone or something. Also, just because it's night time, don't simply rely on oncoming headlights in order to warn you of others. Just imagine you're winding through a field at night (where speeds often times increase), and you come upon a sizeable hill in the field while still going at a fast rate of speed, and there's another sled broken down or wildlife like a moose just over the hill out of your sight. Rather than to just continue throttling up over the hill being blind on the other side, use caution & keep little things like this in mind for your safety & the safety of others.
Oh, & LET IT SNOW!report abuse

Solid of Winthrop, ME Snow Speed Bumps and trafic circles, LOL

If the local PD's and SO's can use a pool of reserve officers (weekend worriers) I wonder why the Wardens can't solicit some help on the trails.

Why not give some young cops or even MJCA cadets a book of tickets and warning slips and set them lose on Maine's tril network some weekend to educate the wild out of state trail wreckers.report abuse