Norman Wells’ fire chief says staff are concerned for residents’ safety after a rise in ATVs being used by people without helmets.
In a notice this week, Brandon Scott said the town had initially taken a “lenient” approach by relying on “education to encourage compliance” regarding the use helmets.
However, he said that approach did not seem to be working.
After a “troubling rise in violations,” Scott said anyone using an all-terrain vehicle without a helmet will be given a ticket instead of the usual warning.
“ATVs without proper helmet use can be devastating, not just for victims and their families but also for community members who respond to such emergencies, including volunteer firefighters, nursing staff, and other first responders,” Scott stated, adding the situation had raised “serious concerns about community safety.”
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“The attitude of ‘it won’t happen to me’ is all too common, but it only takes one accident to cause irreversible harm,” he told residents. “Please do not put yourself or your children at risk.”
Last year, a 19-year-old passed away after being involved in an ATV accident in Délı̨nę. In 2019, another teenager died after a crash reported in the community of Colville Lake.
More recently, Inuvik has expressed similar concern about the town’s ATVs.
Last month, Mayor Clarence Wood said the town’s Boot Lake Trail was being damaged by ATVs – which aren’t meant to be on it – and a barrier would be set up to restrict their access.
Wood has previously described an increase in illegal and underage driving in the town.
