Bill Would Open Roads to ATV's (Nebraska)

January 29, 2007 by the Omaha-World Herald

Chris Didamo bought a Kawasaki four-wheeler in 2002 for $12,000.

But the only places where he can zoom around with family and friends are designated all-terrain vehicle parks and his own property.

"I have a lot of money invested in my machine," said Didamo, president of the River Valley Trail Riders in Bellevue. "It'd be nice to be able to ride it."

Legislative Bill 288, a bill that will be discussed in a hearing today at the State Capitol, would allow ATVs to be driven on all Nebraska roads except controlled-access highways. Three other bills related to the operation or licensing of ATVs will be discussed during the 1:30 p.m. hearing.

Didamo isn't convinced that allowing ATV use on almost all roads and highways is good for public safety.

"It's a Catch-22," he said. "I like the concept, but I don't think the machines are designed for on-highway use."

Sgt. Kevin Kavan with the Nebraska State Patrol said allowing recreational ATV use on roads "would be bad."

In a letter to the transportation and telecommunications committee, the industry-funded Specialty Vehicle Institute of America said it opposed LB 288 because ATVs are designed for off-road use only. About 40 percent of ATV fatalities occur on paved roads, according to a Consumer Product Safety Commission study of ATV crashes from 1997 to 2002.

From 1982 through 2005, 83 people died in ATV accidents in Nebraska; 96 died in Iowa ATV accidents.

Sen. Deb Fischer of Valentine, chairwoman of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, said she joined LB 288's principal introducer, Sen. LeRoy J. Louden of Ellsworth, in presenting the bill because "we need to have a discussion."

Fischer has introduced two other bills related to ATV use.
[full article]

ATV legislation
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• LB 70 would allow municipal employees to drive ATVs across highways inside city limits.
• LB 163 would require proof that sales or use tax had been paid on the purchase of an ATV before the vehicle could be titled.
• LB 288 would allow ATVs to be driven on all public roads except controlled-access highways between sunrise and sunset, whether or not the operation is related to agricultural work.
• LB 307 would allow ATVs to be driven across highways for agricultural purposes only outside city limits."They're so unstable," he said. "They just don't turn the same way as motorcycles or cars."

This is a big opening for accidents. ATV's on paved roads are simply not safe. Yes, I have done it, and will continue to do it at times, but mainly for crossing from one field to the next.
Gravel roads are one thing, but paved roads are just too unstable of a surface for an ATV. One hard evasive move and you are likely to find yourself skidding along the pavement face first.

What I have seen is turf tires on ATVs for city work. They allow the bike to ride on grass with out damage, and allow better control on pavement. The large town close to my home, uses these tires on their mules, and they seem to work fine. I do not know how they would work on a quad? I know up where I am from, it is ok to ride your bike on the side of the highway, and any dirt road is fair game as long as you are not tresspassing. I think it would blow, if you spend good money on a bike and cannot use it. Up here in Canada we have so much Crown Land (like state land) and you can do pretty much what you want. But in ontario you do need a helmet and insurance or you will be fined and or charged, if you even se a cop.

Less stable than a machine traveling on two wheels with double the displacement between the rider's legs traveling at the same speed and licensed to drive right along side 18-wheelers on interstate highways?

(I'm speaking of motorcycles of course)

An ATV operated by a mature individual exercising good judgement and courteous maneuvering is not nearly as dangerous or unstable as a motorcycle in my opinion (and I rode them for years)

JC Whitney offers a tire/wheel setup for ATV's allowing them the same tread-type as automobiles travel on every day. They aren't that badly priced and won't wear down or make noise like a normal ATV tire will on pavement. I see little difference between driving an ATV on pavement and... lets say... a jeep? Bronco II? Honda/Harley Trike? yet all these machines are allowed to travel on our roads.

I believe it should be handled the same way automobiles are managed on area roads.... nobody under the age of 16, no drinking and riding, and if you are seen violating a law or endangering others - you are given a citation or your license is revoked.

Personally - I'd like to see this sort of thing go into effect here... if for no other reason than for the local IDIOTS to go out and get stupid on the roads on an ATV and have their driver's license revoked so they won't be acting stupid in a 2-ton automobile either.

Just my

Ride Safe,

Chuck

You are so right Ccrane. My Captin in the fire department I am a member of has a 1946 willys jeep. If you put my 400 arctic cat beside it. The atv is the same length and the jeep is only about 4" wider. Not to mention two guys can pick it up about as easy as they can pick up my bike.

First off, if everybody had street tires on their ATV's, that would be an entirely different story. This law doesn't provide a stipulation like that though, so 99% of the bikes that end up on the street will be the same bikes that are also out riding trails. Most of these riders are not going to have a spare set of street tires in the garage, and even if they did, they are not going to take the time switch them before going riding.

What you are going to have is people riding at speeds of 40+ mph on paved roads with mud tires. That will = increased ATV related accidents.

I realize that a responsible rider most likely wouldn't have problems riding on the street in most cases, but there is just too many out there that are not responsible (we see them on the trails all the time, just think how they will act on the street)

As far as motorcycles on highways, I would much rather be on a motorcycle on a highway, but that isnt the issue anyway because the bikes are not going to be allowed on controlled highways.

And again, with a street tire conversion, the bikes would be much safer. However, at that point, it really isn't an ATV anymore, just a slow 4 wheeled street bike in most cases. Not to mention, even if this law got passed, I would almost bet that less than 1% of the ATV's in the state would have these tires to begin with.

I like to have more rights with my bike, but passing something like this is going to increase the number of ATV related accidents even more than the recent climb. More accidents = increased restrictions long term.

Something I would like to read in regards to this. If you have a dune buggy, you can make it street legal, but you have to have a horn, proper headlights, tail lights, and turn signals. Are they going to require this for ATV's to be street legal as well?

I agree completely, and thank you for pointing out that the dolts (do'do's, idiots, baffoons, morons, and rich guys) on capitol hill don't have the sense to keep their crayons between the lines on the paper anyhow... let alone put together a sensible and consciencious bill regarding the "redheaded step-children" of the country (ATV riders).

By mentioning the street tires I meant that the ATV's should be equipped properly before being allowed to join automobiles on the roads. I noticed the text in the original post regarding not being allowed on highways... despite the fact that it's condoned in other countries.

Honda and Kawasaki have both made available to their customers a street-legal conversion kit (For their large-bore enduro dirtbikes). This includes a quiet exhaust, high-beam/low-beam headlight, tail light/brake light, blinkers, horn, street legal tires, and vehicle identification brackets...

No reason ATV manufacturers (or aftermarket accessory companies) can't add this to an already VAST array of after-market accessories available for these machines.

Point is, with soaring fuel costs.. this is just one way of saving a decent amount of fuel... and possibly winning back a small tidbit of public respect by giving them a civil liberty (instead of the NORMAL: taking them away)

ATV related accidents and incidents are not going to decrease anytime soon... the number of ATV's sold each year isn't even close to that of automobiles, and won't catch up ANYTIME soon. As the number of ATV's in the United States increases, so will the number of accidents related to these machines... wether they are allowed on roads or not.

Just adding my own perspective to this subject,

Ride Safe,

Chuck