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Sunday, July 27, 2008

Ind. Law - "Law allows ATVs on gravel roads"

Thomas B. Langhorne of the Evansville Courier & Press reported Friday:

Vanderburgh County Commissioners have made it a little bit easier place to drive an off-road vehicle here.

Heeding the wishes of rural residents who requested the change, the County Commissioners earlier this month passed an ordinance allowing off-road vehicles — predominantly four-wheelers and dirt bikes — on county-maintained gravel roads.

Operators may not drive faster than 20 mph. They still must have valid driver's licenses and register their vehicles with the state Department of Natural Resources at a cost of $30 for three years, among other conditions.

"This is not an opportunity to fishtail and do doughnuts in the gravel; you have to obey the traffic laws," said Mike Kellner, a Department of Natural Resources conservation officer who patrols Vanderburgh and Warrick counties.

Off-road vehicles still may not be driven on blacktop roads in Vanderburgh County, though drivers may take them onto the sides of roads.

The state statute authorizing off-road vehicles allows counties to pass ordinances permitting such vehicles to use county roads outside city limits. Otherwise, the law does not allow driving off-road vehicles on any public roadway, gravel or blacktop. * * *

Motorcycles and scooters, which are bigger and faster than mopeds, are subject to essentially the same rules and regulations as cars.

Kellner acknowledged some off-road vehicle drivers might say it is unfair to require them to have operator's licenses and stay off blacktop roads in Vanderburgh County while allowing younger moped drivers to drive on blacktop roads without operator's licenses.

"But that's not a legitimate gripe, because those off-road vehicles can go so much faster than mopeds, and you've got very significant stability issues with off-road vehicles," he said. "It's a lot bigger machine, lot heavier. It's intended for off-road use."

Kellner chuckled about the differing and sometimes confusing rules for motorcycles and scooters, off-road vehicles and mopeds. "It's like comparing apples, oranges and bananas," he said.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 27, 2008 09:44 AM
Posted to Indiana Law