Maine Wants Crack Down on Impaired Snowmobile, ATV Operators

A bill to crack down on impaired operators of boats, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles in Maine proposes lifting motor vehicle licenses of offenders.

The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee scheduled a hearing on the bill Monday. It would allow a court to suspend for a period of time to be determined by judges the driver’s license of a person convicted of drunken driving of a watercraft, all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile.

Supporters say the bill would make the waterways and trails safer. But the Maine Snowmobile Association says the present law is sufficient.

Drunken operators of snowmobiles must now pay a minimum $400 fine for first-time violations.