Quebec police hand out more than 260 tickets to snowmobilers in two days

Quebec Snowmobile Federation safety supervisor Jocelyn Desfossés urges snowmobilers to follow the rules or they could face fines.

Quebec provincial police and the Quebec Federation of Snowmobiling Clubs (FCMQ) say they handed out more than 260 tickets in two days.

On Jan. 24 and 25, the two agencies say they stopped more than 3,825 snowmobiles, vehicles and trailers and issued tickets or warnings for the following:

• Failure to wear a helmet ($350 to $700 fine);
• Failure to comply with mandatory stops and signage ($250);
• Excessive speed;
• Driving on public roads and in unauthorized areas ($250 to $500);
• Failure to carry a driving licence, registration, civil liability insurance ($250 to $500) and valid trail access rights ($350 if the driver fails to admit that they do not have a trail pass. The driver may be assisted off the trail or offered the chance to purchase a trail pass at $900 to continue).

Fine numbers courtesy the FCMQ.

Fifteen snowmobilers were also arrested for impaired driving due to drugs, alcohol or both.

FCMQ security and logistics supervisor Jocelyn Desfossés said that snowmobiling remains incredibly popular and in 2023-2024, there were more plated snowmobiles than motorcycles.

Despite its popularity, the accident and trail death numbers remain low, he said.

“One death is one too many. I’ll be honest with you, we never like to read about it. We never like to know about it, so it is the sad part of this sport,” he said. “But I believe that all the messages that we’ve been circulating and trying to push in our agenda, it has brought a little bit of success because we are maintaining the fact that the snowmobile plates and the increase in snowmobiles out there have increased, [but] we managed to contain deaths and accidents in the trails.”

The FCMQ is urging snowmobilers to remain on trails marked by stakes and follow the rules.

“No alcohol or drugs, please,” said Desfossés. “Be sure when you put your helmet on, it’s well attached. Please stay to the right on the trails. I see it all the time. People drive, and they’re riding in the trails, and they’re somewhere in the middle, and sometimes they’ll take a turn to the left, and they’ll just drag the snowmobile to the left.”

He said the FCMQ has seen head-on collisions due to drivers not staying in their lanes.

When driving a snowmobile in Quebec, you must have the following with you at all times:

• Proof of civil liability insurance,
• The vehicle’s registration certificate,
• A document to attest your age (you must be at least 16 years old),
• A valid driver’s licence,
• Your training certificate, for those aged 16 and 17,
• The trail permit, if applicable.