ATV Florida Forum

I just came from the public hearing where Marion County opted out of the atv law.  We outnumbered the people who were there wanting the County to opt out.  BUT, I believe we were our own worst enemy.  Everyone speaking for the other side had tails of horror to tell about bad ATV's who ruin property, ride to fast on roads (you have to remember we have been allowed to ride for over 2 mos) and unsupervised minors.  Again. a few ruined it for a lot.

If this law had given the counties the right to modify, or partially enact it, we might have stood a chance.  It was all or nothing, and they wanted to err on the part of safety.

We had the same thing happen in Collier Cnty. It's my understanding that there's legislation being drawn up to modify the new atv law so counties can also have partial exemption. Thxs for all your hard work...

It was a done deal before that meeting even occured.

So let me get this straight, by opting out of the law they expect that behavior to stop?

i believe the same

Id@

I live here and I can tell you Marion County sucks. If your not a developer , have a crap load of money or own horses dont expect the county comm. to do a damn thing for you. Period. :F

Manatee county isn't any better. It is to the point now that people that were born here cant afford to live here. The billionares are running off the millionares.

It was a done deal before anyone walked in there. The commissioners had to have that meeting, it was mandated. What might have been a good idea, is to make a suggestion that with urban sprawl getting closer it might be time to set aside some land for an OHV park.

Stewards

I saw a 10 second clip on channel 27 (9) last night.  They made it sound like it was a "new" law going into effect on Jan. 1st, but it was really just the "opt out" of the October law.

Does anyone know who introduced the October law in the Florida Legislature?  The offroad community has been duped, the whole idea of the "opt out" was very underhanded.

Here's new ohv law i had copy paste on here while back showing my
friends around here back couple months ago.Here copy of it
i got off forum while back during over spring months on here.

Ch. Law 2006-290   HB 7079 Highway Safety        
Effective 10/01/06


316.2123(1)The operation of an off-highway vehicle is permitted
by a licensed driver during daylight hours
on an unpaved roadway where the posted speed             
limit is less than 35 mph and proof of ownership is available.Minors may
operate off-highway vehicles in the same manner if supervised by a licensed driver.

316.2123(2) A county is exempt from this section if the governing
body, by majority vote, votes to exempt the county from this section.

316.2125(3)A local governmental entity may enact
an ordinance regarding golf cart operation and equipment
which is more restrictive than those enumerated in this section,
for unlicensed drivers.


For us around here almost all areas in north central florida are almost
complete 95% opt out and for our county around here  it's all bull crap
lies of iuess around here alot rednecks in suwwnnee county wanna this
new atv law in place to past around here, untill 4commissiors rejected new atv law
and one commissor wanna it in around here i'll guess everybody
around here won't vote for thoses same county commissiors anymore around here,
they loss alot atv people around here buying all land around here
for making there OHV parks around here and people in live oak areas need
get a life here and let atvers ride around here to give them a second chance i know alot
crazy people watch stunt shows thats why they complain around here
and look at all car crashes around here in suwwnnee county during over summer months here,
it was alot with truck drivers they should be worry more about cars trucks motorcycles crashes than
beside chasing down every fourwheelers in suwwnnee county over crazy phone calls on other people
doing bull crap false lies around here.

I know they have
road crashes on US90 and US 129 plus alot them like pass in double lines around here
and i still see atvs riding on right ways around here in mcalpin areas and live oak areas
with dirt bikers back about month ago.Yeah I have seen some my atv friends doing
nighttime rides around here in middle night to slow down driveby in our area around here.
i'll ain't going complain to theses riders around here i know them very well,
and i think everybody
in state of florida should have right to ride around here
and we should have our own atv rights in state of florida
and going DC to protest our rights thats
what i'll like to see in near future and if we keep on trying to get our words
across here in FLorida  we'll be free one day to ride our freedom, and atvs riders
will have right to ride on county dirt roads again in near future
for farming or trail riding around here, and
we need keep on trying don't give up on it. :)

From Wensday's Star Banner.

County says no to ATVs on roads
Marion ban goes into effect Jan. 1

BY SUSAN LATHAM CARR
STAR-BANNER

Thomas Levay, of Silver Springs, says he wants to have continued use of ATVs, as he addresses the Marion County Commission at a public hearing Tuesday in Ocala to discuss the new ATV law and whether people should be allowed to ride their ATVs on roads.

OCALA - All-terrain vehicle riders who have become accustomed to riding on Marion County's dirt roads will be breaking the law if they do so after Jan. 1.

The Marion County Commission on Tuesday evening voted unanimously to opt out of a state law that allows ATV riders, under certain circumstances, to ride on dirt roads in the county.

Commissioner Jim Payton made the motion to adopt a resolution, effective Jan. 1, to exempt Marion County from Section 316.2123 of Florida statutes.

"Allowing unlicensed, underage people to operate motor vehicles on public roads is not acceptable in my mind," Payton said after the meeting.

ATV riders felt otherwise.
"I don't agree with it because it's taking just a little more of our rights - what we have left - it's taking them away from us," Lisa Cabana said. "I don't think it's solving the problem.Ê.Ê. The people that are already irresponsible are going to continue to be irresponsible. The only people this hurts are the people that are abiding by the law."

Cynthia Watson was pleased with the commissioners' decision.

"I thought it was something that needed to be done because they have been given a lot of opportunities, but the four-wheelers keep doing wrong," Watson said. "They don't care at all about the environment."

The state law, which went into effect on Oct. 1, creates a "niche" or loophole in laws that already existed on the books prohibiting people from riding ATVs on public roadways in the state.

The "niche" law allows an ATV to be operated on dirt roads with posted speed limits less than 35 miles an hour, provided it is daytime and the ATV is being operated by a licensed driver or a minor under the supervision of a licensed driver. The law also allows counties to opt out of the law after conducting a public hearing.

People on both sides of the issue turned out to be heard at Tuesday night's public hearing.

"They get out there and spin around and around and around," said James Morris about the ATVs on the dirt road in front of his Southeast 155th Place home. "This is getting a little ridiculous. We have to take care of the roads."

Larry Sprankel of Dunnellon also opposed the law. "They are in the retention areas," he said.

James Popp of Dunnellon said he lives on a wide, graded road.

"They come roaring down the road doing donuts," he said about ATV riders. "The drivers are young, are careless."

Others spoke about ATV riders speeding and infringing on private property, as well as operating their vehicles very late at night.

But Jerry McDonald, whose 16-year-old daughter, Jennifer, was killed earlier this year when a motorcycle rider drove head-on into the ATV on which she was riding, asked the commission to continue to allow ATV riders to ride on dirt roads.

"I think you should be able to ride four-wheelers, but there's a way to do it," McDonald said. He suggested that the county charge ATV riders $100 a year to ride and give them a license plate so that those who act irresponsibly can be reported to police.

He said the Ocala National Forest has stopped people from riding ATVs on the federal land except on newly designated trails.

"There's a way to do this," said McDonald, who lives off a dirt road and whose family owns nine ATVs. "If not, the four-wheel business is going out of business because you can't ride in the Forest now."

Greg Parsons of Citra, who is an active motorcyclist, asked the commission to support the law.

"You have people using vehicles to get from house to house, many of whom, I am sure, are doing it responsibly," Parsons said.

He said the criminal activity should not be tolerated.

Others argued the ATVs keep children out of trouble.

Diane Laflam said ATVs are a family activity. "There must be some way to enforce reasonable laws that would govern the behavior of four-wheelers and not punish all four-wheelers," Laflam said.

But the law does not give the commission the ability to modify the law, only to accept or reject it.

Susan Latham Carr may be reached at (352) 867-4156 or susan.carr@starbanner.com.

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We should get news media  to help us out to look into this new atv law
and talk about on national tv than alot atv riders might try fight this iuess out
for our rights to ride in near future.  :wink.gif