The Bracebridge OPP was back out patrolling the area’s snowmobile trails.
The patrol does random RIDE checks while trying to keep Muskoka’s trails safe. On top of that, officers are on the lookout for things like careless operation, helmets compliance, proper paperwork and mechanical issues.
In addition to last week’s regular trail patrols, the OPP ran seven RIDE checks throughout Muskoka. They interacted with nearly 300 people and handed out 13 tickets.
The OPP says one thing that kept coming up over the weekend was cars and trucks driving on groomed trails. The police are reminding people that all cars and trucks need to stay off the trails.
Stuck cars make for dangerous obstacles for snowmobilers and the damage they do to the trails can cause serious crashes. “Summer Maintained Roads” that are groomed into snowmobile trails are off limits to all vehicles except snowmobiles.
Trails may give the appearance that they are passable roads, but the OPP says instead you can end up with a ticket for trespassing and a very expensive tow bill, which three people learned this weekend.