HB 425 - Utah's "ATVs Everywhere" Bill Fails to Pass!

Thanks to everyone who sent in their comments. Your actions made all the difference!

In the waning moments of Utah's 2007 Congressional General Session, a bill that would have made ATVs legal on any and all city and state highways went the way of the Dodo. The House of Representatives had passed HB 425, “Street-Legal All-Terrain Vehicles,” which would have allowed ATVs (4-wheelers) to travel on any and all state highways (excluding Salt Lake County.) Current state law allows cities and towns to designate certain roads "open" to ATVs, and certain cities have chosen to do so. But HB 425 would have forced cities and counties throughout the state to allow ATV's on their city streets. Not only would this be a major threat to public safety it is also a backdoor attempt to bring the State of Utah into litigation surrounding rights of way on public lands (see editorial in today’s Salt Lake Tribune: http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_5284809).

The sponsor of the bill hoped that this law would allow ATVs to drive on claimed RS 2477 rights of way traversing public lands that have been closed to these machines by federal agencies (i.e. on seldom used dirt tracks). This bill would have harmed Utah's public lands because it sought to limit the federal government’s ability to close damaging routes across federal lands, so SUWA would like to thank all of our supporters for sending in your comments opposing this bill, your actions made all the difference!

 

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