We have a local forum website here called NextDoor. I think quite a few locales have one type or another. It's where you post your dog is lost, or a garage sale, or the postman lost your package. That type of thing.

A thread popped up titled "ATVs are Illegal on Public Roads in Colorado" by the deputy sheriff as a reminder to keep your machines on your property. Well, I just had to chime in.

First, I agreed with the deputy that it is illegal in Colorado. Then I mentioned a recently passed law that allows local jurisdictions to create legal ATV routes in their towns and roads to promote ATV tourism. Silverton, Durango, Ouray come to mind. So it is legal in a few areas on designated routes.

Then I gave my little spiel about the surrounding states that have legalized ATV operation on public roads with certain rules and restrictions of course. Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and many others allow it. And I mentioned how clubs and the Colorado dealers association are lobbying the Legislature for a street legal law like Utah's.

I was pleasantly surprised at the positive replies I got from local neighbors. "I use my machine to run to the mail boxes". "I drive my machine on the street to plow my neighbor's driveway". "I use my ATV to ride around picking up litter". I don't mind responsible riding, I won't tolerate somebody stunt riding or trespassing in front of my place.

The deputy sheriff sent me a private message thanking me for my support and saying in essence that he has more important things to worry about than an old man riding an ATV in the neighborhood. That he would not be waiting around the corner from my place trying to write me a ticket. But he is obligated to enforce the laws we citizens wrote.

His comments support what I have read earlier. The responsible ATV riders are "encroaching" on the law to the point where the Legislature may make legal riders out of them to make law enforcement folks more comfortable waving at an ATV rider. It happened this way with marijuana in Colorado, and now California. So many people do it, why not legalize it and tax and regulate the hell out of it?

I strongly feel in Colorado legalizing ATV riding on secondary roads would take a lot of pressure off the great off highway trails we have, and be a boon to the hobby as a whole. I explored the Rampart Range off highway trail system the other day. The parking lot was full and the trails were busy. It is mainly a motorcycle park. Anyway the trails were rutted up and difficult to navigate. The gravel roads through the Pike National Forest were well maintained and had the same beautiful scenery. There were many camping spots along these roads where ATV folks spent the night, but had to trailer their machines a the trail head. The posted speed limit on the gravel roads was 25 mph.

Granted trail riding is a whole different experience than gravel road riding. Trails have "technical spots", rock crawling, steep hills, and mud holes and straight a ways. There must be a 100 miles of gravel roads to explore in this area. There are dirt bikes with turn signals that can ride them. There are Jeeps with fat tires, roll bars and turn signals that can ride them. But I can't ride my ATV on them. We need a street legal law in Colorado.

Thanks for reading, your comments welcomed.

David

 

I do the same thing with my ATV's. I live on a 2.5 mile cross road and a lot of morons toss out their garbage, beer and soda containers, etc. Once a month, usually on a Sunday, I'll take an ATV out with some big plastic containers and clean up the ditches. You wouldn't believe how much junk I pick up. I can nearly fill my dumpster every month! If I get a ticket, I'll be writing to all the newspapers. I'm a 66 year old geezer.

 

Saving the tax payers money by picking up the trash. They ought to thank you.. 35 years I've lived on a corner lot close to a rural two lane black top road. There used to be 5 cars a day come though years ago,now 5 cars a minute in morning and evening rush hr. All the cans,bottles,etc I've had to pick up over the years from idiots like this before I can even mow. Just like the idiots you have up north..

 

Great story. I don't think the police here in Massachusetts would be quite as receptive.

 

Heck hydrex, I'm a 69 year old geezer! That's why I enjoy the smoooth ride on my dirt roads as opposed to deep rutted, rock infested, 51" gaps between the trees, and 25 degree side hills on the trails. I have to wear my diapers when riding trails like that.

David

 

Don't ride with Specta on the Paiute Trail then... He seems to take great pleasure in scaring the wits out of the folks he leads around.

 

High powered ATVs can be very scary indeed. Some call it thrilling. I need a ton of trail riding hours to gain the experience on how the machine handles, both rough ground, up and down steep inclines, and over obstacles. When I get as many hours in the log book as you have, I'm sure I can keep folks my age in sight on the trails anyway.

David

 

Sounds like good fun to me.

 

It was good fun the two trips we've made. He's a great guide if you can get him with some time off.

 

Now that Silverton allows riding atvs in town, the sheriff does what he can to discourage it by spending his time stopping atvs and writing $150 tickets for no insurance or if 2 riders on a ATV. I've been riding atvs in CO for over 20 years. We've been everywhere. Never an issue with having a passenger riding all over the backcountry until now if you drive through Silverton, CO at 5mph with a passenger they'll pull you over tell you not passengers and possibly get a ticket. Recently a Silverton CO OHV facebook page obtained and posted the full names of people the Silverton sheriff has ticketed in the last month which included, their citation, ticket amount and state of residence.