Deer Lake moves to curb illegal ATV use

Police say the illegal use of ATVson roads in Deer Lake is causing problems for them, andthe town.

Earlier this week, Deer Lake Mayor Dean Ball said the town council would be meeting with police to discuss how to deal withthe issue.

Ball said the towndoesn't want to discourage ATV use, but does have a plan to keeppeople safe.

"Do amajor crack down on the trouble spots. We have some of the residents that have spent some horrible times, in days and nights, so we are determined to get that issue corrected," hesaid.

"Our goal here is to manage the issues before somebody gets hurt."

RCMP Sgt. Terry Foster said there is serious concern for the safety of pedestrians, drivers, and ATV users.

Hesaid there have been cases where he's tried to pull over riders, but they managed to get away.

"I've activated the emergency lights, and in the majority of cases the people ...have taken off at high speeds," Fostersaid.

"It's the peopleriding recklessly, riding around on the back tires. They are individuals that we are concerned about and they are the ones that we are going to be targeting," he said.

Police will visitschools to inform young riders of the proper etiquette while usingrecreational vehicles.

The town will also hold a publicmeeting to talk about ATVs some time in November.