Conservation officers in Powell River are cracking down on residents riding dirt bikes and ATVs on forest service roads without proper insurance.
Officer Gerry Lister said that enforcing insurance violations is becoming a priority for the officers because of the risk of injury or worse to the various groups that use the roads.
As a trial run to see how necessary the enforcement is, Lister spent three hours one Saturday afternoon on the Duck Lake forest service road checking ATV and dirt bike riders for insurance. Out of four dirt bikes stopped none of the riders had insurance and of eight ATVs only two had insurance. Two riders chose not to stop at all.
Lister only took information and handed out warnings that afternoon, but it proved to him the need for enforcement of regulations that have been in place at least since 1992 by Lister’s count. Lister said there is a common perception in the area that this is new legislation, when really it’s just an old rule that hasn’t seen much enforcement.
“There’s been a long-standing practice here of educating people. It doesn’t work, hasn’t worked,” said Lister. “It appears everybody knows but a lot of people don’t care.”
Under the Forest Service Road Use Regulation section of the Forest and Range Practices Act all motor vehicles must be insured up to at least $200,000 liability to be operated on a forest service road. The rider must also have a valid driver’s licence. It’s a $345 ticket for riding a dirt bike or ATV without insurance. It’s a $575 fine for failing to stop for a conservation officer.
The roads are home to a variety of users, said Lister, and this mix makes the potential for accidents high. If an ATV or dirt bike rider causes an accident without insurance they are opening themselves up for legal actions and potentially serious costs. Lister pointed out that the forest service roads are also a lot busier than they were five or 10 years ago, making the likelihood for accidents even higher.
Lister commended the Powell River ATV Club for making sure all of its members have insurance and also thanked members of the public who make the effort to insure their recreation vehicles.
Warnings will only be handed out for so long, said Lister, and the plan is to issue violation tickets that will give riders a reasonable amount of time to obtain insurance and prove that they have it to nullify the ticket. This way the choice will come down to a $345 ticket or insurance worth $120 to $150 for a year. If issued a ticket riders will also not be allowed to continue driving on the road and will have to find another way to travel to their destination and return to retrieve their ATV or dirt bike. Full tickets will be issued in some instances if the officer feels they are warranted.
“They could get a ticket right then and there,” said Lister. “What we’re choosing to do is go with the lesser option, which is to bring them into compliance.”
Specific insurance for ATVs and dirt bikes is available at insurance agencies in town. If the ATV or dirt bike is for use in hunting or fishing activities insurance can be obtained through membership in the BC Wildlife Federation.
Forest service roads and branch roads that officers will be focusing on are Duck Lake, Dinner Rock, Inland Lake, Kent’s Beach, Lois Lake, Malaspina, Beaver, Canoe, Saltery Bay, Theodosia and Texada Island.
