ATVs keep Dunmore police busy, pose safety hazards

Megan Reiter

DUNMORE - Borough Police Chief Patrick Reese cringes when he hears the all-too-familiar roar of all-terrain vehicles.

"It literally seems like everybody has a quad," Chief Reese said of the sport vehicles commonly known as ATVs.

The Police Department has been receiving about a dozen complaints a day recently about quads on busy borough streets.

The most problematic streets are East Drinker, Meade, Mill and Smith, the chief said.

Safety lacking

The mostly teenage drivers often illegally ride down streets in groups of three to 10, without the required protection of helmets and goggles, he said.

Chief Reese is imploring parents to put the brakes on ATV joyrides.

"We need their help," he said. "They need to get a hold of their kids and take the keys off them."

Borough police are prepared to levy the toughest fines possible on rogue ATV drivers, in addition to impounding the quads, Chief Reese said.

Fines can range from more than $100 for driving an ATV on streets or highways, to nearly $400 for lack of insurance, according to Dunmore Sgt. Richard E. Barth.

Equipment violations and fleeing and eluding police - which is a third-degree felony - can also add to costs, not to mention a criminal record.

Real crime

Chief Reese said ATV drivers could also face manslaughter charges if passengers die.

"Some of the places where these accidents happen are remote sites in the woods," he said. "Most of the time, when there are ATV accidents, seconds matter."

In the past year, about 12 serious ATV accidents happened in Dunmore, the chief said.

While Chief Reese said police may be forced to start driving ATVs to address the problem, he said it's really up to parents to make sure teens know how to have safe fun on quads. One way is to use a trailer to transport ATVs to a secure location, and ride them wearing the proper protective gear, Chief Reese said.

"The parents know it's illegal," he said of riding ATVs on the street. "Take the keys with you. Hide the keys."

Source: http://www.scrantontimes.com/news/atvs_keep_dunmore_police_busy_pose_safety_hazards

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