Off-road vehicles and on-road problems

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    Like Sangerville Selectman Bill Rowe, I’ve never been a big ATV fan.
    Bill remarked that after riding the trails one day and eating about a pound of dust, he was convinced that the sport wasn’t for him.
    So if I really feel the need to fill my lungs with grit, I’ll just open the windows and take a ride on the Golden Road in my passenger car.

    On the other hand, there are people willing to shell out thousands of dollars for the rugged off-road vehicles and some will haul them 50 miles to ride a 20-mile trail. They also spend money on registrations, fuel, meals and other amenities enjoyed by most vacationers.
    Lately, however, concerns have cropped up about increased on-road access for the off-road vehicles. ATV riders claim that allowing their vehicles on public roads for a limited distance won’t cause accidents or property abuse. They simply want to get from one trail to another without hauling their vehicle in a pickup bed or trailer.
    Residents of some of the roads targeted by ATV’ers say that they have enough problems with regular vehicle traffic and the four-wheelers will just increase the headaches.
    The big issue, of course, is that you don’t need a driver’s license or liability insurance to operate an ATV. You can also be as young as 10 years old.
    Then the question becomes “How much access is too much access?”
    Over the years, most municipalities and law enforcement agencies have used one mile as an unofficial standard. If an ATV club asked for permission to use a mile of a town or state highway and is willing to pay for the signage, chances are they’ll get it.
    When ATV riders ask for four, five or eight miles of paved road access, however, things get complicated. That was the situation in Sangerville last week when a group met with two members of the Board of Selectmen — Rowe couldn’t attend because of a funeral — Town Manager Dave Pearson, Sheriff John Goggin and Game Warden Jeremy Kemp about obtaining access to 8.4 miles of town roads.
    The sheriff emphasized that he didn’t have the judicial power to overturn a decision made by the town on ATV access, whether he agreed with it or not. If town roads are opened up to the four-wheelers, then the town also “owns” the baggage and complaints that go along with it.
    Some towns like Greenville have allowed ATV access on main roads for years without any major problems. In most cases, however, permission was sought by an organized club; and the paved routes were used to connect existing off-road trails or allow riders to get closer to downtown businesses. With all due respect, there isn’t much to do in “downtown” Sangerville.
    By the time you read this, selectmen will probably have made a decision at their July 8 meeting, unless the issue is tabled.
    Unfortunately, banning ATVs from public roads isn’t going to stop the rogue rider from using them. They’ll just drive faster to elude angry residents or law enforcement officers.
    There’s an old adage that every problem usually has a solution.
    This one, however, is elusive. The ATV business is growing and other towns will undoubtedly have the same problems as Sangerville in the future.
    Let’s hope common sense prevails – on and off the trails.
    Mike Lange is a staff writer with the Piscataquis Observer. His opinions are his own and don’t necessarily reflect those of this newspaper.