Hi Im new.. my name is Kris.. Im doing a persuasive writing project in one of my classes and my topic is "I think that they should street legalize ATVs".
I need to gather information to support my argument.
I just wanted to know a couple answers to a few questions so if you would answer them I would greatly appreictie it!

Here they are:

Why arent Atvs street legal?
Why can like 'dirtbikes' be street legalized but not ATVs?
How could we prevent people from illegaly riding them if they were to be legalized?

And these are some of my main points and I need help backing them up.

They are more affordable gas and just buying them all together.
You could go on and off road.

Thanks for any help you can give me!
- - - Kris

 

Topic one.

There are several reasons why atvs are not street legal. One is the tires that come on the atvs are not dot approved for the road. The tires wear MUCH faster on pavement and are just not sutiable for the vehicle to drive on pavement for long periods of time. Another reason is the width of the atv. The narrowness of them case it to flip over easier at higher speeds. One MAJOR reason is that when a car turns, it reduce the speed of the inside tire, so it isnt trying to rotate at the same rate of speed which would cause horrible tire wear and is also a saftey hazard. Also since it is on four tires....it would probably be considerd a car....so you would need a seatbelt

Topic Two

Dirtbikes are able to be legalized because it is basically a motorcycle that was designed to be offroad....Which is basically chaning the tires, and and possibly the shocks and it can be used for the road. And of course...the whole turning thing...

Topic three

If they made them street legal, do what we do now....give them liscense plates...and give them the normal tickets and all that good stuff.

gas wise...not so much. It may SEEM like it...but if you actually do the figures they are no better on gas...it just takes longer to go any type of distance. I hope this helps

 

my Brute is street legal here in MT. i can ride it on the street anytime i want. the rear diff is a non issue. the only noticable problem is SLIGHTLY more effort required to turn. certainly not enough to be a safety issue. flipping on corners depends on the rider, just like a motorcycle.

my license plate is a MC (motorcycle) plate, the same as my harley. i also have the off-road sticker so i can go on National Forest trails legally also.

we have to have a few things like: reflectors front and rear (on the sides) electric horn, rearview mirror, brake light, hi/lo beam headlights, license plate light, but all this is pretty much easy to put on a newer atv. the operator is required to have a motorcycle endorsement to operate the atv on public streets/roads.

i enjoy puttin' around town on a nice day, and errands are more fun, too.

monty

 

ATVs can be made street legal in Idaho, too. It's really no big deal....title and register the ATV as a motor vehicle, driver must have a valid driver's license and carry proof of liability insurance. The ATV must display a license plate and be equipped with headlights, taillights, brake light, mirror(s) to see the roadway 200 feet behind you, and a horn that is audible at 200 feet. Turn signals are not neccessary if you use proper hand signals. I ride mine to run errands and to work in nice weather. My ATV really doesn't get that great of gas mileage....only about 22mpg. It's better than my truck, but not as good as an economical car.

As far as safety, it's the same as any other vehicle. If you are going too fast, not paying attention to your surroundings, driving recklessly or under the influence, you may have an accident. Of course crashing on an ATV will hurt more than if you were in your car, but not any worse than on a motorcycle. Not to mention street bikes go a heck of a lot faster than any ATV. I don't think it's reasonable to expect an ATV to be driven on main highways or busy roadways....they are not safe to be driven at high speeds and you may not be as visible to other drivers....but I don't see what's wrong with driving them on secondary roads, using common sense and obeying traffic laws.

Good luck with your paper.

 

Quite well stated. My atv is also street legal (with an atv license plate).

BTW, welcome to the forum, Kris!!!