01663344

Component

Several states have enacted enabling legislation that allows county or municipal governments to establish ordinances authorizing the operation of All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and/or Recreational Off-Road Vehicles (ROVs) on secondary roads. Decisionmakers need to weigh the purported benefits of more lenient ATV/ROV regulation against other important policy considerations. To separate the facts about ATV/ROV operation on secondary roads from conjecture, a review of existing research literature was completed. The results suggest that the operation of ATVs and ROVs on streets and highways has significant health, safety, enforcement, environmental, budgetary, and legal implications for states, counties, and local communities. ATV/ROV traffic can conflict with other recreational uses of secondary roads (such as bicycling), resulting in important trade-offs for communities seeking to promote outdoor recreation tourism. Alternative policies, such as the development of designated off-road ATV/ROV trails, Off-Highway Vehicle parks, or scheduled ATV/ROV rides, can assist local officials in balancing health and safety considerations with economic development and recreational goals.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFB30 Standing Committee on Low-Volume Roads.

18-06461

English

13p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; Photos; References; Tables

All terrain vehicles; Legislation; Literature reviews; Recreational vehicles; Regulation; Secondary roads

Highways; Policy; Vehicles and Equipment

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-06461

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 11:40AM