I'm working on a mapping project to assist in the consideration of allowing Off Highway Type Vehicles (OHV) to legally drive on county maintained roads. This would be the ATV, UTV, Trail Bike, Jeep, Buggy, ect. type vehicle that do not meet the state vehicle code for highways.
Since we have a pretty broad spectrum of people from all over the world here, I figured I may be able to get some good feed back on how things work in your part of the world.
The questions are simple. The assumption is that the roads being considered are mostly un-surfaced (gravel)and have a low volume of traffic. However there may be segments of paved roads that have a low design speed and a very low traffic count included.
These county roads would link to other roads on federal land where OHV use is allowed.
1.) Does your county or city allow OHV use on public roads?
a.) If no, is this something you think would receive broad public support?
b.) If yes, what is the setting (desert, forest, agriculture, ect.)
and how do you feel it is working?
2.) Does the BLM/USFS allow OHV's to travel along their roads in your area?
a.) same as above
b.) same as above
The town that I grew up in, located in southern WV (Logan, WV), now allows ATV's on certain streets, even in downtown. There is an ATV trail system (Hatfield-McCoy Trail) that is located in the area and they decided to allow ATV's to access the town from the trails. The system has been a great economic boost for the area, as people from around the country travel there every year to ride the trails.
There was no real push-back from the public; it was broadly supported.
ATV's are allowed on marked streets, through downtown (paved city streets), as long as the riders are wearing the appropriate safety gear.
I have to say - awesome looking town!!
:music: Small town USA :music:
Be sure to check with your workman's comp insurer as part of your research. We considered getting a OHV for a job a few years ago and found that the insurance premium increase was cost prohibitive for us.
Let me clarify - this is not a survey related question (not to dismiss your suggestion).
I am just curious generally speaking how many places allow OHV's on public roads and how it's working out.
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I have heard there are places in Wyoming where you can go to the grocery store on your snowmobile.
They are allowed on just about any public road in AZ, as long as they are street legal. That consists of insurance, break light & head light, license plate light, and a horn. Ah yea, and you need eye protection (pretty obvious), and if under 18 (maybe 16) you need a helmet. Then you can get it plated just like any motorcycle. I would have thought most states already have something on the books to accommodate this growing trend.
Other wise, they are only allowed on designated off road trails of state & fed land (better not be off that trail - especially fed), and of course on all private property. I got mine plated a few years back and my full insurance is $75/yr, and includes liability, theft, collision (every thing is in my name, not the business).
It's nothing fancy, 2007 2x4 Honda Recon I bought new. But it hauls my fat butt around anyplace I need to go for work, and save walking all over the desert or risk flat tires in my truck. A couple custom boxes for gear are easy and hold every thing I need. It has paid for itself 10 times over, so I bought him a nice little 6 x 8 enclosed trailer with a ramp rear door and swing side door. Hooks up in about 3 minutes and I can't hardly tell I'm towing it.
It's a tractor in arkansas:
I have NEVER even been stopped.
And, mine will top out at 65 mph.
Nate
In Northeast Mississippi, it depends.
We have a few bada$$ forest service and game management area guys that will stop and ticket ATV riders on county roads, claiming that they are "in" the forest service area. No, they are not, and they play traffic cop withouth local county authorization, chasing down kids in blue light suv's and scaring them to death, threatening to take their ATV's. However, they will allow you to drive in, retrieve a deer taken while hunting, and come straight back out. They are not pleasant or reasonable people to deal with.
State highway patrolmen tolerate ATV's on the road shoulders and off the pavement, but will stop and ticked non-licensed (plated) ATV's if they are being operated on the pavement.
National park service officers on the Natchez Trace Parkway are intolerant of atv riders and even horse riders and hitch hikers.Those guys have a burr permanently stuck up their royal rear ends. And why do they always ask if I have a weapon?! Sheesh! I have been pulled over for "touching the white line." Probably because I was trying to see how close that jerk was tailgating me. Another time, I had one of my two tag lights burned out. They don't need much of a reason to flip on the blue lights and make a big deal.
County officials don't mind too much as long as nothing dangerous is observed.
Municipal law enforcement are less tolerant because of kids getting hurt.
I ride mine while working almost everywhere, but I stay on the road shoulders and off the pavement, crossing at right angles and driving slow. In municipalities where I need my atv, I wear a bright yellow vest. I carry all my survey gear, and it is obvious that I am working an using it to haul surveying equipment. I have not been challenged yet (knock on wood). I play it by ear, and use my truck when working on roads in or near the forest service area, and use my ATV off road. I always ask the landowner if I can access their property with my atv.
Good sense and common sense go a long way. As a solo operator, I carry everything with me on my atv.
New Zealand's rules are pretty much the same as Az - must be road registered and pass an annual safety check (to do so needs head, tail and brake lights, horn speedo mirrors etc) Helmets are compulsary here.
There is also an exemption for farm vehicles when in use close to the farm
We are in the boondocks. I believe they are not considered street legal in the general sense. However, our sheriff and his deputies look the other way if the user is on a low-use county road (which is 95 percent of them). Would not want to see one on a US highway or even crossing one. On the other hand, specific cities have gone stupid and more or less encourage the use of golf carts, Gators and other motorized means of transport. I can not count the number of near misses that have occurred when backing out of an angled parking space to discover some idiot in a golf cart waving wildly and swearing. The operators are generally too stupid to realize just how long it takes to cross one or more lanes of traffic at an intersection because their mind is operating as if they are in their car/truck instead of an overgrown sewing machine.
The vast majority of operators do not possess a vehicle license, as required in those few silly cities, and many do not possess a standard drivers license. My opinion is that they have no business sharing the road with standard licensed drivers operating multi-thousand pound vehicles with proper insurance in force. It's the same as putting a bicycle on an Interstate. In the event of any kind of accident, guess which driver's insurance is going to pay out the whaazoo.
> ..speedo mirrors etc) Helmets are compulsary here.
>
> There is also an exemption for farm vehicles when in use close to the farm
Oh yea, I forgot about the mirror, gotta have that too.
I got my mirror & horn at a bicycle shop and horn is battery operated, for about 1/4 of the price at the ATV dealer. HL & BL are stock. Sun glasses from Wally World. I never expected the insurance to be so "cheap". Annual plate fee is around $30 or so.
AZ is one of the few states that do not require helmets for motorcycles, likely to change but I don't know and likely won't happen in my life.
I always love the farm guys though. I just slow down, pass when I can, and tip my hat to them and give them all the space I can
Our law states "horn" and makes no mention of type - you often see the rubber squeeze-bulb type...
> Our law states "horn" and makes no mention of type - you often see the rubber squeeze-bulb type...
Too funny Jim. My 9 volt battery is making mine sound like a wounded duck as it goes dead, and the duct tape I used to mount it is a bit "weathered". Thus the entire device tends to relocate itself to places I'd rather it not be.
I'm going back to the bike shop for a squeezy honker horn. I may get two.
Funny about the mirror law part. I can't see anything behind me, except me blocking the view...ewwww. I just always have my head on the same swivel I do when I'm actually working in the roadway. Not so sure all ATV riders have a swivel, thus the law. They still can't see past themselves either, but.....:-S
Thanks for the responses. What is being considered here is to allow basically any OHV regardless of lights/mirrors, horn, ect. to drive on certain designated county roads.
I think this is something that is already occurring to some extent and the local LE is looking the other way for most of it.
There is also the idea being tossed around to allow OHV's to have access from the hotels in town directly to an extensive "trail system", which basically consists of county and USFS dirt roads. The larger plan is to be able to drive an OHV from Interstate 5 to the Pacific Ocean on back country roads.
Can you drive one on the Interstate?
Wayne,
We have a Polaris Ranger we use for our off-road surveys, licensed and street legal. Also have the required Arizona off-road vehicle decal for $25/year to the state - still not sure why we needed that along with registration, but it's required. Have not driven it on interstates, but mostly off-road and some very rural highways in the far Southeast part of the state (Elfrida, east of Douglas, etc.). Another tool for when a 4wd pickup just doesn't cut it.
