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Feb 4, 2008 10:59 pm US/Central
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Deadly Culture Of Speed, Alcohol And Snowmobiling
Wisconsin Snowmobile Deaths On An Upswing
Wausau, Wis. (CBS) ―
Since Randy Salerno's death, CBS 2 has received roughly 2,000 e-mails from viewers, including some expressing concern about the safety of snowmobiling.
In Wisconsin, deaths in snowmobile accidents are on an alarming upswing. CBS 2 Investigator Dave Savini went to northern Wisconsin to find out what we can do to stop these tragedies. What he found was a deadly culture of snowmobiling, speed and alcohol.
Thrilling rides across frozen lakes, and winding trails; powerful snow mobiles reaching speeds up to 120 miles an hour; and if that's not enough, just follow the signs and bright lights to a night life centered around luring riders and their wallets a few feet away from the trails, and into a world of drinking games and half-price specials.
The trails are loaded with bars where the drinks are flowing and there's little regard for safety. In fact, when the 2 Investigators rented our snowmobiles we were given a map showing us the way to every saloon, pub and tavern along the most fatal trails in Wisconsin.
We saw safety-conscious riders by day, but by late in the night things began to change. The 2 Investigators used hidden cameras to expose what has been described as an epidemic in northern Wisconsin.
In a little more than 2 years 77 people have died in this state in snowmobile-related accidents. Forty-five of them involved alcohol.
We even saw bartenders join in the festivities. At 2:30 in the morning it's closing time, the bar is cleared and the snowmobile operators rev up their sleds for one more ride.
"A lot of these guys go bar to bar to bar," said Warden Mike Sealander.
Wardens who patrol the trails from the state Department of Natural Resources say it is this kind of behavior that scares them the most.
"They're obviously getting over served, I mean when you're arresting people and their getting killed with three times, four times the alcohol limit that they are supposed to have somebody, some place is giving them to much," Sealander said.
Authorities say the attention surrounding Salerno's death is shedding light on local situation that has gotten out of control. One factor in the crash, initial test results showed, was the driver who gave Salerno a ride had a blood alcohol level nearly three times over the legal limit.
John Long put a cross at the scene of the crash. He heard the sirens that night and says he hopes someone figures out the answers soon.
"Not even knowing him it still affected us," Long said.
Authorities say some taverns even use police scanners to warn patrons when there is a special unit in the area.
This weekend the 2 Investigators went undercover into a dozen bars spanning towns like Tomahawk, Minocqua and St. Germain. They are located in Wisconsin's two deadliest counties for snowmobiling accidents.
We found a man who says he's driven drunk on a snowmobile a thousand times.
"If they can't catch, what the hells the difference," he said.
He explains how in Wisconsin drunken snow mobile drivers only get a fine, "and it don't go against your license."
Attempts at changing the law to suspend or revoke the motor vehicle licenses of drunken snowmobile operators have been unsuccessful. Critics argue the Tavern League, a lobbying organization for the bar industry, is holding up the much-needed changes.
Michigan and Minnesota enacted a law tying alcohol-related snowmobiling infractions to their drivers' licenses, and the snowmobile deaths have gone down, leaving Wisconsin with the title of the most deadly.
We asked one bartender if he would call police. He claims he offered to call drunken snowmobilers a ride but they refused, but he didn't seem too concerned when he did one last shot with them before sending them on their way.
"Welcome to the reason I go home to sleep and throw up," he said. "That's why I don't go out on weekends."
The Tavern League did not return CBS 2's request for comment.
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