The illegal use of dirt bikes and ATVs on urban streets is a perennial issue on SeeClickFix. Users from New Haven, CT (where the above photos were taken) to Great Neck, NY, to Santa Fe, NM, to Painesville, OH have already reported disturbances caused by the reckless tooling around on these vehicles that explode into life each spring as consistently as tulips. I thought it'd be helpful to take a look back at past dirt bike issues on SeeClickFix to reflect on how to solve the problem this summer.

SeeClickFix can be a great way to keep tabs on dirt bikers, who are particularly difficult for cops to stop. They often come and go so quickly that no one even has time to take a photo, and "no chase" policies in some cities prevent cops from pursuing them. Last year, SeeClickFixers spent two months tracking the "lime green" biker before the bike was finally confiscated.

This year, it seems like the police have gotten off to a good start. Just two days after a SeeClickFix issue was opened, the NHPD busted two dirt bikers last week, thanks to the help of SeeClickFixers who posted tips about the bikers' whereabouts.

The trick seems to be to post early and post often. Let your neighbors know about the problem and encourage them to take photos or alert the police. See if there's a pattern for when the dirt bikers show up, and let the police know about it. One user mentioned talking to local gas stations/ garages to see who is coming by to buy parts/ oil for their bikes.

Getting dirt bikers off the streets is a tough but important fix (in 2008 in New Haven, a 15 year-old-died in a crash). Using SeeClickFix can hopefully contribute to stopping the problem before it gets out of hand.