Southern Georgian Bay OPP officers have been asked a variety of questions by snowmobilers about rules surrounding operating on local trails, the most recent being, “How old does a person need to be or what licence is required to operate a snowmobile across a roadway or highway?”
“One must look at the definitions,” police said in a news release. “A ‘highway’ includes a common and public highway, street, avenue, parkway, driveway, square, place, bridge, viaduct or trestle, designed and intended for, or used by, the general public for the passage of vehicles.”
Every road in the area is defined as a highway.
A “serviced roadway” refers to part of a highway that is improved, designed or regularly used for vehicular traffic. That includes the plowed portion of the shoulder. Where a highway includes two or more separate serviced roadways, the term “serviced roadway” applies to one serviced roadway separately, not to all of the serviced roadways collectively.
Serviced roadways are highways, police noted.
Driving along a highway
No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle along a highway unless:
- the person has attained the full age of 16 years
- the person holds a driver’s licence
- the person holds a motorized snow vehicle operator’s licence
- the person is a resident of any other province, country or state and holds a licence issued by such province, country or state that authorizes the person to drive a motorized snow vehicle
Driving across a highway
No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle across a highway unless:
- the person has attained the full age of 16 years
- the person holds a driver’s licence, a motorized snow vehicle operator’s licence or is a resident of any other province, country or state and holds a licence issued by such province, country or state that authorizes the person to drive a motorized snow vehicle
Driving on trails
No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle upon a trail unless:
- the person has obtained the full age of 12 years
- the person holds a driver’s licence, a motorized snow vehicle operator’s licence or is a resident of any other province, country or state and holds a licence issued by such province, country or state that authorizes the person to drive a motorized snow vehicle
“With a balance between rider education and enforcement in mind, officers deal with issues found on the trails on a daily basis under some extreme weather conditions and welcome your co-operation on the many trails here in north Simcoe,” police said.
More information on snowmobile laws can be found at ontario.ca/laws/statute/90m44.
