Legislator Wants More ATV Oversight, Vehicle Registration

Written by The High Point Enterprise

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Paul Johnson

HIGH POINT -- All-terrain vehicles and motorcycles used for off-road purposes would have to be registered with the state and their owners would pay an annual fee if a bill introduced this week passes the N.C. General Assembly.

State Sen. Stan Bingham, R-Davidson, introduced House Bill 45 Tuesday to bring oversight and tracking of all-terrain vehicles through the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles. The legislation would require all-terrain vehicles or motorcycles for off-road use be registered in a manner similar to the way motorists annually register passenger cars or street motorcycles. All-terrain vehicle owners would be issued a license plate that would have to be put on the vehicle.

The annual base fee for an off-road vehicle would be $15. Bingham proposes that the revenue go into an off-road vehicle trust fund to provide all-terrain vehicle safety training, acquisition and management of public lands through the state and development of off-road vehicle parks, trails and facilities.

Bingham, a legislator from Denton who represents Davidson County and parts of High Point, said the idea for the bill came out of a study committee on child fatalities.

"We've had a lot of kids killed on ATVs," he said.

Also, law enforcement officials believe that registering ATVs will help them track or identify stolen vehicles, Bingham said.

The senator said he expects opposition from some ATV owners, especially because of the annual fee.

"This has been an ongoing debate for a long time, and they'll be some folks upset about it because you have to pay anything," Bingham said.

Source: http://www.wxii12.com/news/18646929/detail.html

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“As a rancher who leases public lands for cattle, I’ve seen my share of cut fences and rangeland damaged by ORV use. I’ve also experienced ORV trespass onto my private lands. But I’ve had no way to identify the culprits when reporting trespass or illegal ORV use to local law enforcement. Congress should require that ORVs used on public lands have visible identification plates or decals. Doing so would remove the anonymity enjoyed by ORV riders who are bent on breaking the rules.”

- Ambers Thornburgh, second-generation rancher from Oregon who grazes cattle on his private land and adjacent lands leased from the Bureau of Land Management