In the years since they've implemented a snowmobile patrol, the Langlade County Sheriff's Department has noticed a change. "I've been in law enforcement 14 years”, said Deputy Dave Westen. “And you can safely say that snowmobiling as a whole has become a more family-oriented activity."

In Langlade county, the patrol was established in 1996 and since that time their number of fatalities has remained very low. For the most part they target dangerous spots on the trails, rather than staking out the bars. "Obviously, it's a known fact that the trails connect and there seems to be taverns along the way”, said Weston. “But that's certainly something that we don't target."

One reason law enforcement doesn't target the areas around bars is because checkpoints, for checking sobriety or anything else on the trails, are now against the law. They need probable cause to check a rider's blood alcohol content. But the D.N.R. says probable cause can be very hard to find on the trails.

In a motor vehicle on the roads, probable cause includes swerving past the yellow line, changes in speed, or cars driving with no headlights, or with high-beams on. But on a snowmobile, swerving, speed changes, and riding with high beams on are all normal operation, meaning unless someone speeds, blows a stop sign, or gets in to a crash, they can't pull them over.

Statistics from the DNR show a clear correlation between fatalities and changes in Wisconsin law.
There is a spike and then general pattern of increase beginning in the late 1980’s. In 1989, law enforcement check points for snowmobiles were made illegal.

A sharp decline In 2001 marks the start of a nighttime speed limit of 55 miles per hour. That limit was lifted a year later, but put back in place in 2006.

But when snowmobile citations are issued, the penalties are different from motor vehicles. A citation for driving under the influence in an automobile results in large fines and 6 demerit points against your drivers' license.
In a snowmobile, there's a similar fine, but nothing goes on your permanent record. No violation in Wisconsin has any affect on an operator’s permanent driving record.

That's not the case in surrounding states. Both Minnesota and Michigan link snowmobile violations to the operator's driver's license. And D.N.R.’s in both states say they've seen a definite decrease in fatalities because of those laws. Here in Wisconsin, legislation has been introduced to make that change, but has not passed.

Senator Russ Decker of Weston believes there’s good reason. "An O.W.I. on a snowmobile does not apply on your driver's license for highway driving”, Decker said. "It's not a motor vehicle. It's a totally separate thing. Being on a snowmobile trail is not like being on a paved highway."