ATV REGULATIONS GEARING UP AGAIN - To Control Or Not, That Is The Question

(09/26/2001)
A legislative committee has proposed a ban on ATV's using major highways and the interstate, and would give county commissions the authority to outlaw them on other roads. Proponents of regulations on ATV's have said the legislature is passing-the-buck on a political issue dear to the hearts of many users in rural West Virginia. The users represent a considerable voting block.

The proposed law raises the issue of using helmets, prohibiting more than one rider on a vehicle (unless built for two), and would require juvenile riders to have safety training.

The law would also require ATV users to get permission from landowners before riding on their property.

Legislation died last year in Charleston.

West Virginia has recorded 124 deaths on ATV's during the past ten years. For every death there is an estimated 233 injuries requiring medical treatment. West Virginia, per capita, has the highest incidence of problems in the nation.