Editorial: Sales of OHV decals deserve a big boost

Written by Arizona Daily Sun

Friday, October 02, 2009

What if they passed a law but didn't enforce it?

We have the answer right here in Arizona. It's called the Off-Highway Vehicle Decal Program. It took effect Jan. 1 and required every owner of an OHV to purchase a $25 annual decal to fund rider education, trail creation and maintenance, and law enforcement. But despite an estimated 400,000 OHVs in the state, just 92,000 decals have been purchased.

So instead of raising up to $6 million, the decals have accounted for just $2.5 million. And this comes during a year when all state departments are starved for cash and laying off employees.

That means Game and Fish, for lack of a predictable revenue stream, has not been able to hire the seven additional compliance officers called for in the law.

It also means State Parks has not launched a planned media campaign about rider safety and trail etiquette and State Lands has not set aside designated OHV corridors.

But more importantly, it means the emergency room at FMC continues to see a steady stream of serious injuries from OHV accidents each summer weekend, including young riders, many of them from the Valley. The reasons include recklessness, lack of skill and failure to wear a helmet -- exactly the kind of behavior a decal-funded education and enforcement campaign was designed to address.

Legislative backers contend there needs to be more time for word to spread of the decals. OHVs that are not driven on highways are not required to be licensed, and neither are drivers, meaning the state has no official point of contact with them. OHV clubs are supposed to educate members, but many riders don't belong to clubs.

Frankly, that explanation is a copout. The decal program was a compromise offered by the industry and vehicle owners in the face of a bid by some lawmakers to license OHVs for all uses -- on- and off-road -- in order to raise the funds to enforce safety and trail use laws. That the OHV dealers and repair shops, along with the clubs, have done a lackluster job of publicizing the decals is evident by the sagging sales.

We see several ways to remedy the situation, starting with tougher enforcement by existing law enforcement officers, even if it is selective. A few high-profile sweeps of popular OHV areas, including stiff fines for repeat offenders, would get the attention of OHV owners in a hurry.

Another is to threaten to replace the decals with mandatory licensing. It is not unreasonable to require the driver of any motorized vehicle in the state to register it and comply with basic equipment and safety regulations. Just because it is used on the Cinder Hills in the national forest -- as crowded a vehicle corridor as any state roadway -- should not automatically exempt an OHV owner from licensing and the fees that come with it to support the impacts of the sport of off-roading.

Whichever course is chosen, our point is that it's no longer acceptable to tolerate decal scofflaws. The law was passed for good reason, and it has been in effect for nine months. It's time to enforce it fairly but firmly.

Source: http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/10/02/news/opinion/20091002_opini_204781.txt

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State by State Momentum

Community Voices

"Nevada Sheriffs' and Chiefs' Association worked closely with the Nevada OHV community to develop our current law and we believe that when fully implemented it will be very helpful in dealing with the problems of theft of OHVs and it will go a long way in identifying those who participate in destructive acts on or off public lands."

- Frank Adams of the Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association