Police react to wild St. Bride's ATV drivers

A video shot in eastern Newfoundland by CBC News Wednesday shows young all-terrain vehicle drivers with flagrant disregard for numerous laws, according to police.

The drivers and passengers in St. Bride'saren't wearing helmets andthey are driving on a paved road, where it's illegal to operate an ATV. In the video one driver pulls wheelies while driving an old-school trike.

Another scene shows a passenger tossing trash, possibly a beer bottle, from the back ofan ATV.

"It's a fatality waiting to happen, simple as that," Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Const. Suzanne FitzGerald said Thursday when CBC News showed her the video.

St. Bride's is about 170 kilometres southwestof St. John's, but the RNC also has to worry about ATVs in its jurisdictions too.

"The fact of the matter is that an ATV is not a toy and it shouldn't be treated like one. It can cause serious injury," said FitzGerald.

RCMP Sgt. Boyd Merrill had a similar reaction.

"What I'm looking at here is a tragedy that hasn't happened yet," he told CBC News.

It appears a number of laws may have been broken.

"Under the Highway Traffic Act, the offences could result in fines of up to $2,000 or six months in jail for some of the offences in relations to regulations and their behavior," said Merrill.