I took a nice ride around the neighborhood today. I felt a tad more legal here in Colorado as I anointed my ATV as "farm machinery" and fall under the "slow moving vehicle" regulations that I read about. The regulations say I have to have a specific orange triangle sign on the back of the vehicle, I am to stay to the right and not hold up traffic, and I am not to exceed 25 miles per hour. I printed the regulation out and put it in the "trunk" of my ATV. I plan on a nametag saying "farm machinery" on the side of the ATV and strapping a hay bale on the front rack.

I know, I have no chance of talking myself out of a violation and fine. I also know I have very little chance of influencing the Colorado legislature to adopt a street legal law for my state. I have sent some letters. However, I will enjoy afternoon rides on nice days until the gestapo shuts me down.

David

 

In my area they look the other way unless you are doing something dangerous or reckless. I also have the orange (safety) triangle and a 25 mph speed limit. For the first few weeks I carried a bag of chicken feed in the back so I could use that as an excuse but have never had to. When no one is on the road I do kick it up a few notches but when ever a car appears I move to the side and keep her at 25 of slightly below. Ben doing it for years now with no interference from the police, in fact most times they wave as we pass. Now we do have a couple of young fellows that tend to be the hot rods of the neighborhood and they have had to walk their atv's back home rather then ride them and I have heard of some tickets being handed out. It does seem to be the people that abuse the rules or avoid them altogether.

 

Being in the city I can't use the farm machinery excuse but I wish the best of luck to those of you who can. People will get used to seeing ATVs and SxSs on the road and that can only be a good thing.

 

Wife and I have been married for 45+ years and we lived our first 3 years in the city before deciding we had to get out. Every few years we kept moving farther and farther out into the country. Now we are 9 miles to the nearest city and getting worried that if building keeps going on we mat not be far enough. We enjoy not being told how to maintain our home and property to fit in with the neighborhood and contrary to many beliefs it is cheaper to live in the country. I realize that many prefer city life and the closeness of people and stores. We have tried both and will never go back to city life until we are unable to make our own decisions. Just being able to ride my UTV to the neighbors is a big plus and I can store my motorhome in my drive and my boat without any community violations. If ya want to have toys that you can actually use you need to try country life!

 

I think that's what I plan on doing when I move in a few years. Actually the neighboring small towns to mine have a much more relaxed attitude toward atvs and utvs on secondary roads. It's honestly just the cops in our litle town that have a problem with it. Its one of those little towns where if you go 5 mph over the speed limit, you'll get pulled over. But if you live even a mile outside of city limits, you'd never see a cop unless you called them to come out. Its not a bad place to live but just don't ride your atv in town because if they see you, they will pull you over. Its happened to me a couple times, both about 2 years apart. I only got a warning but I had to turn around and go back home while being followed. Its just not worth the hassle anymore. Utvs can be registered with city hall though but you have to spend extra to get turn signals installed. And golf carts as well, those are just flat out annoying. Fortunately, few people seem to have them as I seldom see any of them on the road.

 

Congrats on the 45 years of marriage! Got me beat by 1 year!

 

Technically it is 47 yrs but whose's counting??

 

Thanks Kymco450i: Your exposae on country life is very well written and exactly my belief. I too have been married over 45 years. 14 of it was in the Twin Cities area. I won't go back to suburban living until I am no longer able to care for myself (yuk). I love the freedom of living in the country. I ain't far enough out in the country where I live, but we do have the freedoms of the countryside.

Jumbofrank: You are exactly right. As more drivers see more responsibly ridden ATVs and UTVs on secondary roads, the more they will become accustomed to the sight, and the more they will think "who cares" when time to pass a street legal law. We think nothing of seeing a tractor on the road, or a 3 wheeled motorcycle. What would you think if you saw an ATV parked at the convenience store?

David

 

greg74: Your local police description sounds like mine back in small town Minnesota. They are doing their jobs as described: respond when someone needs help and enforce all laws. I did install mirrors, turn signals and a horn on my ATV. It may get me a warning instead of a ticket. And claiming to be farm machinery and complying with the slow moving vehicle rules may also help. We shall see what happens as I take afternoon rides around my neighborhood dirt roads.

It's good that UTVs can be registered for on road use in your area.
It is a step in the right direction. Interesting comment about electric vehicles. A federal law was passed in 1998 that exempted electric "cars" from all the rules and regulations involving on highway vehicles. Denver has allowed local governments to approve electric vehicles for on road use where speed limits are below 30 mph (if I recall correctly). Polaris bought an electric car company (golf car size, not Tesla size) as they see big potential for them. The annoyance you experience with a retiree like me going slow in a golf cart would be similar to a retiree like me going slow on a ATV. I recognize that is a problem. We gotta "share the road" as we say in Colorado, especially as the dropoffs are steep and you can't see over the hills or around the sharp curves.

David

 

Sharing the road is so true, I have to share the road with bicycles, slow moving mopeds, slow farm tractors and grain trucks and a lot of heavy equipment and slow moving semi's in my area so why not an ATV or a UTV??