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BC brings rules to off-road vehicles
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| Photo by David Ellwyn |
Province phases in regulation
by Laura Walz | editor@prpeak.com
Off-road vehicle riders will soon be required to wear helmets and register and licence machines if they ride on Crown land.
BC’s government will be implementing the requirements over the next two years, along with other measures designed to protect youth and the environment.
Kevin Krueger, minister of tourism, culture and the arts, announced the changes on November 10. Under the new framework, all ORV (off-road vehicle) riders using Crown land will require one-time registration with a licence plate for their machines, in addition to wearing helmets and using lights at night. Age-appropriate safety measures and adult supervision will be required for young riders.
Dave Hodgins, president of the Powell River ATV Club, said the new framework was fantastic. “It’s about time,” he said. “Our organization has been fighting for this for years.”
As president, Hodgins said, he fields phone calls all the time about riders doing something they are not supposed to be doing. With licensing, people will be able to report licence plate numbers.
“It’s good, as long as the authorities act upon it, otherwise it becomes a meaningless subject,” Hodgins said. “That’s a real key. It gives us the means of tracking down the people who are doing the damage and ruining the image of a good sport, but it also needs enforcement.”
New standards for mufflers will minimize the noise impact on wildlife and spark arrestors will reduce the risk of forest fires.
BC’s government will be implementing the requirements over the next two years, along with other measures designed to protect youth and the environment.
Kevin Krueger, minister of tourism, culture and the arts, announced the changes on November 10. Under the new framework, all ORV (off-road vehicle) riders using Crown land will require one-time registration with a licence plate for their machines, in addition to wearing helmets and using lights at night. Age-appropriate safety measures and adult supervision will be required for young riders.
Dave Hodgins, president of the Powell River ATV Club, said the new framework was fantastic. “It’s about time,” he said. “Our organization has been fighting for this for years.”
As president, Hodgins said, he fields phone calls all the time about riders doing something they are not supposed to be doing. With licensing, people will be able to report licence plate numbers.
“It’s good, as long as the authorities act upon it, otherwise it becomes a meaningless subject,” Hodgins said. “That’s a real key. It gives us the means of tracking down the people who are doing the damage and ruining the image of a good sport, but it also needs enforcement.”
New standards for mufflers will minimize the noise impact on wildlife and spark arrestors will reduce the risk of forest fires.
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dognuts wrote on Nov 18, 2009 11:41 AM:
We should all be careful of what we wish for. "