Failure to wear helmet leads to myriad of charges for OHV rider

BARRHEAD - A 28-year-old of an undisclosed address is facing several charges following an attempted traffic stop in mid-July of a dirt bike on Highway 651 in Lac La Nonne.

A County of Barrhead July 26 media release states that the Barrhead RCMP charged the unnamed individual with driving without a valid driver's licence, driving an off-highway vehicle (OHV) without proper registration and insurance, driving an OHV on a highway, driving an OHV without a helmet, failing to stop for a peace officer and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

The release states that on July 16, County of Barrhead community peace officer (CPO) Shae Guy attempted to stop the dirt bike driver to speak to them regarding helmet safety, as they were not wearing their legally required helmet.

"The driver failed to stop and struck the [county's] patrol car, causing damage to the front end of the [vehicle]."

The release states the CPO then called the RCMP for assistance, who conducted an investigation.

"People panic, and bad decisions are made," Barrhead RCMP Cpl. Filipe Vicente stated in the release. "What should have been a simple traffic stop can easily go from a simple warning to becoming a criminal matter."

Vicente said in a follow-up interview that people sometimes realize that, depending on where they ride their machines on roads and public lands, they need to register and insure their OHVs.

"Because at the end of the day, if you collide with someone in an off-road area, there could be some liability issues," he said.

Vicente added that OHV riders often need to realize that they need to do the same thing: insure and register their vehicles and have a driver's license when driving their machines in the ditch.

"Even if you are driving a dirt bike, quad, side-by-side, alongside, or in the ditch, it is still considered to be part of the highway," he said.

County manager Debbie Oyarzun said the incident is a "great example of the strong working relationship between the Barrhead RCMP and our county peace officer," encouraging anyone using OHVs in the municipality to do so responsibly and follow the rules of the road.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com