House votes to ban ATVs on paved roads

BOISE – The House unanimously passed legislation Thursday to ban all-terrain vehicles from paved city and county roads unless local governments pass rules allowing them.

Panhandle ATV riders and sheriffs oppose House Bill 187 because they say the change is unwarranted and would decrease access to public lands, while proponents say road rules for ATVs vary by county and need statewide consistency. No lawmakers debated the bill, which now must gain Senate approval.

“I’m certainly very disappointed,” said Frank Axtell, president of the North Idaho ATV Association.

Axtell said his group, with more than 300 members, will work to thwart the bill in the Senate.

While ATVs shouldn’t travel on freeways, they can safely travel in areas with speed limits of 45 to 50 mph, Axtell said. He would like to see the bill changed to create a speed limit for ATVs on highways or to make all paved roads open unless closed by a local government.

“The statistics have not backed the fact that there was a safety problem with ATVs on pavement,” Axtell said. “Deal with the people who are doing it wrong, but don’t take the right of way from everyone.”

Some counties, including Kootenai and Shoshone, allow ATV riders with motorcycle license plates and insurance to drive on paved roads as long as they obey traffic laws. The bill creates a new ATV license plate that allows the off-road vehicles on all county, state and federal unpaved roads unless local officials take steps to ban them.

A state Department of Parks and Recreation ATV sticker would still be needed for travel on state and federal land.