I wanted to share a scary moment I had with my 8-year-old on Cotter Mine Road last week.
My son and I like to use that road to access the 7 Mile Rim area on dirt bikes. Thankfully, before leaving the truck I gave him the speech I usually do about staying on the right side of the road and being extra diligent on corners where you can’t see the end of the corner (adult speak: blind corners). Shortly after leaving the truck heading north on Cotter Mine up the switchbacks we had two groups of side-by-sides come at us so fast and using almost all of the road—if he was not pinned to the right side of the road he would have been pinned on the hood of a side-by-side. This is not the first time we have had close calls on other roads with side-by-sides SCREAMING fast and taking up the bulk of the road.
For a long time, it seemed like a peaceful coexistence happened but I have had more close encounters in the last three months than in the last three years. It is getting scary out there. Someone on a bike, motorcycle or out for a walk is going to get cut in half by a side-by-side. It may be time to think about some designated areas for side-by-side use. The technology has evolved so fast they have turned into off-road rocket ships that most anyone can drive. In the hands of the skilled and considerate, we don’t have a problem…but, unfortunately, we don’t always have that behind the wheel.
Mike Seguin
Moab
