PSA: OPP @ Limerick On The Weekend

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rossw

Administrator
Staff member
The OPP were there on ATVs on Sunday in the parking lot, on the trails, road, etc.

They were checking for tight chin straps, plates in their correct location (green on the front, blue on the back), ownership, insurance, and trail pass/BMA membership.

They were very polite and my buddy got a verbal warning for his green plate on the back.

As for riding on the road between north and south, they commented it is technically illegal but if all your chin strap, plate, and paper work is in order AND you are riding respectfully at 40-50 km/h they are UNLIKELY to ticket you and just give you a verbal warning.

Ross
 
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RLefebvre

New member
Do you know how much the fine is for riding without insurance? I've heard it's $325 from one poster. And the BMA FAQ says $5000.

I want to get my family out, but cannot buy insurance for them. I have insurance on my CRF450L. But nobody is writing insurance for kids anymore. And now I find out that I can't even get insurance for my wife on her CRF150F. They say it's a kid's bike. They will not write the policy for her either.
 
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Oxmach

Member
It is $5k under the HTA, therefore I think it would depend specifically where the failure to produce a pink slip occurred. Not sure how they would classify parking / non trail specific areas, but certainly roads would be an issue. I think leaving the FAQ is appropriate given the number of roads traversed around Calabogie and Forsythe Rd.
 
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RLefebvre

New member
I can see that on roads, the fine could be the typical $5000 HTA fine.

Thought that opens a can of worms. If you have off-road insurance, it isn't valid on roads. Therefore even if you have off-road insurance you could still get the $5000 fine while driving along a road. The way the FAQ is written is not 100% clear. Riding off-road requires off-road insurance, and is a $260 fine. Riding on-road required on-road insurance and is a ~$5000 fine.

This is why I got a CRF450L. It's heavy. But I'm 100% covered either way. The rest of the family though... Last year I saw a family struggling to drive their bikes from the south side of Limerick to the north, driving through the ditch on the east side of the road. Which is a swamp really. Whole situation is ridiculous.
 
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rossw

Administrator
Staff member
mart242":2w83584n said:
Huh? Besides the "pit", what else is there that is off property? If you stay on the trails it seems like they all stay on property.
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I "think" the pit is the only place, it is where the police have been the two times I have seen them this year.
 
Trevd

Trevd

New member
Holy... I had no idea that the "pit" was private property... are there any signs? Maybe there are but I just haven't noticed them.

I've been using the pit and the little "track" near it to help get my kid warmed up for the trails.

Trevor
 
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rossw

Administrator
Staff member
The police said there are no signs because people keep taking them down.

The land owner is tired of people dumping and disrespecting the area so he has asked OPP to ticket people.
 
Terry

Terry

Member
Staff member
The "Pit" on Forsythe road is part of the Limerick Forest and is no problem but the other pit .5 km to the South East has never been part of Limerick and we shouldn't be riding in there.
 
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mart242

Member
rossw":2wy8wwks said:
The land owner is tired of people dumping and disrespecting the area so he has asked OPP to ticket people.
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Totally understandable. I can't believe all the garbage people leave in there. It pisses me off every time.
 
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RLefebvre

New member
Wow, I did not know that. And frustrating there are no signs. There are many trails that just end up at the pit.

FYI, OPP in the forest two weeks ago Sunday was because of an emergency call. Guy fell and got a rock in the kidney. About 4-5 emergency vehicles showed up.
 
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RLefebvre

New member
Took the family out today. OPP showed up. I got stopped on the side of Ferguson Road with my 10 yo Daughter. Didn't have insurance for her because I haven't been able to buy it. Did have green plate on front, BMA/OFTR permits, etc. I tried to tell him I have tried but haven't been able to buy insurnce but he wouldn't have it. Says he comes there often and everybody has insurance. People parked next to us did not have insurance for their kid, same thing unable to buy, but he didn't check them.

He wrote a $110 ticket for "Owner permit child under 12 to drive off-road vehicle". Said that was the lowest ticket he could write and was trying to let me off easy.

I'm curious, how is that even an offense? Not planning on fighting it but just curious. Is it or is it not legal for kids to ride kids dirt bikes (assuming proper insurance, etc.)
 
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RLefebvre

New member
And that's the answer to that:

Age limit for driving
4 (1) No owner of an off-road vehicle shall permit a child under the age of twelve to drive the vehicle. R.S.O. 1990, c. O.4, s. 4 (1).

Exception
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply where the child is driving the vehicle,

(a) on land occupied by the vehicle owner; or

(b) under the close supervision of an adult. R.S.O. 1990, c. O.4, s. 4 (2).
Click to expand...
 
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mart242

Member
I'd be inclined to carry printouts of the emails where insurance companies refuse to insure... or voicemails. Maybe ask them from an official letter or something because it could make for an expensive summer otherwise..
 
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RLefebvre

New member
I really don't think that the officer was open to discussion. I tried explaining that I have tried, and he just said "Everybody else here has insurance." I said we'd called around, and asking him if he could tell us where to get it and he replied "I'm not an insurance broker". He just wasn't interested in discussing it.

While he was lecturing me he asked what would happen if my daughter hit somebody in the trail. I replied "In Canada? Probably nothing." He didn't like that at all!
 
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