There are always significant limitations if you can`t ride an ATV or UTV, even if it`s legal on the street. They are as follows: SPVs are limited in terms of speed, distance, and route selection West Virginia allows unregistered off-road vehicles to be driven on the right side of single-lane and two-lane roads without center lines up to 10 miles with a maximum speed of 25 mph for trail use purposes. Local ordinances may further restrict action in certain areas. If you plan to drive your ATV or UTV on the road, you must register it as a “special purpose vehicle legal for the road” under the new law passed in March 2020. UTVs and other off-road vehicles using hard roads or shoulders in West Virginia must follow all laws and rules of the road. In addition, the following requirements must be met. If you only drive your vehicle on private land, the vehicle only needs to have a title and the following traffic law requirements do not apply. For your ATV or UTV to be street legal in West Virginia, it must first be equipped with all of the following devices: Recent changes to state law in 2020 made it legal to ride ATVs on certain public roads, as long as the person driving that vehicle follows certain rules and restrictions. If your vehicle is not allowed to travel on the road, you can still cross public roads by observing the following rules: Driver`s license: A driver`s license is required to use public roads. Please note that we are not lawyers, so this should not be construed as legal advice. Read the bill and make sure you fully comply with the law.
West Virginia ATV riders who are injured in driving accidents may legally be entitled to compensation if their accidents are due to another person`s reckless or reckless actions. Smalley said people have been arrested and their ATVs impounded for driving fully licensed vehicles on country roads since state law went into effect. The law states that to operate on the road, ATVs and SxS must have certain safety equipment to be legal. West Virginia law states that ORVs are allowed to cross public roads at an angle of approximately 90 degrees to the roadway, in a location where a rapid, safe, unimpeded crossing is possible after coming to a complete stop before the emergency lane (or road surface if there is no hard shoulder) and yielding the right of way to traffic. Headlights and taillights must be switched on, if equipped. It is best to always wear a helmet to protect yourself from head trauma in the event of an accident, even if this is not required by the law on private property. Many people are already rushing to modify their vehicles so they can drive on the roads, said Matt Smalley, director of Gravely Polaris of Dunbar. He received about five calls a day from people asking what needs to be done to legalize existing off-roaders. To drive on the road, an ATV must follow a number of regulations, including turn signals, mirrors, a horn, and DOT tires. The inspection, registration and insurance process is carried out with the Department of Motor Vehicles. You can also drive your vehicle on the emergency lane of some roads for less than 10 miles, less than 25 miles per hour, with lights between sunrise and sunset if you`re traveling between a residence and a hiking trail. A legal UTV for the West Virginia highway means having the freedom to travel the Hatfield-McCoy trail system without worrying about the roads you can use to connect the segments.
You can drive to Blue Ridge Drive, explore a new ORV area, or drive a new HMT segment without taking out the truck and trailer. We`ve mentioned some of them above, but you`ll also want to make sure your ATV meets the following general requirements, even if you`re not driving it on the road: DUNBAR, W.Va. (WSAZ) — Drivers are now allowed to ride their ATVs and other SUVs on most West Virginia roads, according to Senate Bill 690. adopted in March. simply because West Virginia is attractive to them,” Smalley said. “You can go out. They have the mountains, the beauty, and I see that makes it a great tourist attraction from the business side by side and off-road. Registration as a special purpose vehicle is a great option for local driving in West Virginia, especially to connect hiking trails, but SPVs are far from allowed on the road. As of February 4, 2020, it will now be possible to make your ATV or UTV street legal in West Virginia. Thanks to Chad Freeman for providing us with the updated legislation! In addition to the requirements described below, you must register and register your ATV or UTV in the same way as registering a motorcycle.
“During the 2020 session of the West Virginia legislature, the legislature amended state law to create a framework within which certain ATVs and UTVs can legally operate on public roads and highways,” the press release said.