Anyone heard of proposed snowmobile speed limit talk for Wisconsin ?? whats it about ?


Thanks Steve

I haven't seen anything. Just did a quick search online today.

Since the season's over, most people won't think about it again until next season.

theres a speed limit at night around here...55mph but have of the time u'd be just stupid to go any faster than that because deer r heavily populated where i ride and seem to like the trails for the use of travel. as soon as darkness falls i dont push that 55mph anything past that. otherwise durin the day if i know the trail i'll go upto 85mph or so. i think a speed limit woudl be ridiculous. what they should be enforcing is drunk driving. i gurantee u drunk driving kills and hurts more people than speed does. but usually the two go hand and hand. stay off the booze til the rides over otherwise we'll be stuck to goin 25mph :banghead:

If there is a speed limit around you, it has too be in town only. There is not a maximum speed limit on the snowmobile trails in Wisconsin. The temporary one expired a few years back and was not renewed. I agree with the drunk driving, they should and are enforcing it more. I believe if you get a ticket on the sled, it should correspond to your drivers license and have all the penilties as such. IMO :doh: :banghead:

ZRman, I don't think that is entirely true. Counties do have the jurisdication to set a speed limit if they want. There are a couple of counties that have one, can't remember which ones though. I did read it in an AWSC letter I think.

I thought that it did

I had wrote the Wisc. DNR out of Hayward.. and was told there is no current speed limit that they know of.. but said the same towns have the rite to make that limit..
and that they had issued one but it has run out.. like ZRMan had said..

I like the drunking driving thing.. make alot of sence.. drinking and doing anything
dosent mix... dont hurt possibly others for your fun your having.. should be a infocement for that.. set-up stings at local bars for such.. tomany people get hurt manily because of it each year sledding.. if we can lower that stat.. its one less thing a tree hugger can use aganist us.. but anyway.. No speed limits yet..

I believe Marquette county has most or all of thier trails marked and patroled, at least last year it was, not sure if it still stands. It is very well posted so they are not trying to trap you.

I say confiscate the sled you were riding if you are over the legal limit. Then let the DNR auction them off and use the funds for trail patrols. THAT would certainly curb drinking and riding in two ways. 1-fewer drunks with sleds. 2-more wardens out there to stop them (I know this one probably isn't as popular as the first one, but it WOULD help.)

I also think mandatory safety classes should be a must as well. I can't go hunting in Wisconsin unless I have attended a hunter-safety, or ride a motorcycle unless I pass a safety class or take a test at least, so why can I go riding on a sled with no formal training? You either attend a safety class, or have a licensed tour-guide who will take newcomers to the sport lead on a guided tour IMO. By doing this, you will porbably see MUCH safer trail statistics WITHOUT SEEING A LOWER SPEED LIMIT.

I wrote Jim Doyle about these ideas before, but didn't hear back at all. I encourage you all to do the same thing. He can't turn a blind eye to this if he's getting bombarded with requests.

Matt, you may have something there.

THANKS JOHN!!! Need some help with the idea!

At our County Alliance meeting last night, it was brought up in our AWSC report that they (the DNR) are going to be bringing the speed limit talk up again this fall. It sounds like the AWSC and the Govenors Council may support it. This would be a 55 mph nightime limit.

Speed Limits Suck!

We should ALL try and get to these meetings if possible. We should voice our displeasure towards these limits, and encourage MUCH harsher penalties for driving under the influence. Tell them to impose confiscation of sleds as punishment for OWI on a sled, and see if that gets their asccident numbers down to a more tolerant level.

We HAVE to be willing to put up a fight on behalf of every responsible sledder out there, and make sure that new laws and punishments ONLY affect the few bad apples in this sport.

On a similar note:
Wisconsin's Noisy Snowmobiles Subject of Bill
Wisconsin Radio Network

Legislation dealing with noisy snowmobiles will get a public hearing tomorrow. Existing law requires snowmobiles not exceed a noise level of 78 decibels, when they leave the factory. This bill would allow Department of Natural Resources wardens to do field testing for noise. Idling machines would not be allowed to exceed 88 decibels.

Scott Makowski, president of the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs, believes the law will help address landowner complaints about noisy machines. "After all the testing results that we have looked at, the snowmobile community has come to an agreement that this decibel level would work fine," said Makowski.

Karl Brooks, snowmobile law enforcement administrator with the DNR, isn't so sure. "I don't know the effectiveness," said Brooks. "Mainly because of the 88 decibel level. We have not been able to feel real comfortable with 88 decibels, and it may actually be a little bit too high." Brooks said the DNR last year had advocated for a noise limit of 84 decibels, later revising its proposal to 86 decibels.

well i know that at night there is a 55 mph speedlimit on all trails but durin the day i dont believe there is any. thats only for barron cty...maybe rusk cty too. i've seen multiple 55mph signs around here for sleds-but from what i was told only have to abide by them if its at night.

Incorrect. If it's a posted speed limit sign, it is 24 hour enforced unless the sign says otherwise. If the signs say after a certain time, or after dusk, then you are correct.

There is NO night-time speed limits on Wisconsin snowmobile trails anymore. They MIGHT be re-instated before this season starts, but the 50mph limit was inactive last season for sure, and I believe the year before as well.

If there's a speed limit sign on the trail, you need to obey it all the time unless it says otherwise. If there's no speed limit posted, you can ride as fast as you safely can at all hours of the day. That is how the law in Wisconsin works for sledders right now.

NO SPEED LIMITS.. let us decide. You can't and will not ever legislate stupidity. SPeed limits do nothing except give law makers a warm fuzzy feeling that they did something. And once you allow for them to start, what's next? Leave the sport alone. If you don't like the risks, DON'T RIDE A SNOWMOBILE.

Well said! Punish the drunks with harsher penalties beofre you punish the rest of us with lower speed limits. Half of my love of sledding is the feeling of "opening it up" from time to time when the conditions are right for it.