State regulations currently restrict the use of four-wheeled vehicles to cross state roads. Proponents say the expansion of their legal use will align regulations with the realities of everyday life in Alaskan villages, where residents have mounted them independently of existing state laws. Some local governments, such as the town of Nome, have already established guidelines for the use of ATVs on city roads. Proponents say the expansion of legal ATV use aligns regulations with the realities of everyday life in Alaska. The northernmost U.S. state has one of the highest SUV ownership rates in the country. Residents have long used ATVs in villages and other less-frequented areas, regardless of local or state laws. Many rural areas are not connected by national roads. Alaska has only 12 numbered highways and half of all public roads are unpaved. The idea of driving a legal UTV on the street all over Alaska makes our team of experts quite jealous, and since we`re based in Florida, it also makes us shudder. How about staying inside next to the heater and registering your UTV on your behalf while you explore? As of January 1, 2022, Alaskans can now legally drive all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on public roads off the highway, where local ordinances have not restricted them. However, you may be wondering how this affects helmet requirements, registration, and liability insurance. The following article explains what you need to know about Alaska`s new law change.
But their use in Alaska`s urban areas appears to be far more controversial. The Ministry of Transportation and Public Facilities released a list of roads that would be open to four-wheeled vehicles in April, including busy roads in cities. Alaska`s plethora of off-road rivals everywhere else on Earth. Then there`s the drive to Prudhoe Bay, a journey that has only recently evolved from a total challenge to an achievable adventure. Imagine doing everything in your legal UTV for the street: climbing mountains, exploring hiking trails, maintaining your property, walking to the grocery store to buy fine local meat, or hiking in Prudhoe Bay just to see if you can. Houston is the only city in the district that allows ATVs on the roads, and the city`s deputy clerk said there are no ordinances being considered to change that. Alaska doesn`t have specific helmet laws for UTVs, road approval, or not. Motorcyclists under the age of 18 must wear a helmet, and while a street-approved UTV doesn`t meet the legal definition of a motorcycle in Alaska, we recommend wearing one if you`re under 18, as local officials are more familiar with it. As more and more of these small motorized vehicles are allowed to circulate on the road, the safety implications could become an issue for motorists, as regulations are not uniform from place to place.
Alaskans can now legally operate ATVs, four-wheelers, side-by-side vehicles and other multi-purpose vehicles on public roads with a speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less. However, snowmobiles and hovercraft are not covered by the law. Although most ATV rental sites in Alaska have their own policies, there are no legal requirements to rent an ATV in Alaska, except that the person using the ATV is the correct operating age (16 years old). But as in the Kenai district, ATVs are prohibited on roads within certain city limits. The Town of Palmer does not allow ATVs on the roads, according to the local ordinance and a spring discussion by the City Council. Wasilla also prohibits ATVs on roads and has a general speed limit of 10 mph within the city limits. If you`re traveling from Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula borough, the use of four-wheeled vehicles on the roads is legal. County Mayor Charlie Pierce said, « ATVs will be allowed on all county roads and have been allowed in the past. As a second-rate county, we have no police powers, and as such, Alaska state troops deal with all violations.
At least six other states (AZ, MT, ND, SD, WA, WY) allow owners to use four-wheeled vehicles on public roads when registered, and drivers and passengers use safety equipment. A driver`s license or license is also required for legal operation. Here`s a link to a state-by-state guide for ATVs. The City of Anchorage banned snowmobiles on city streets sometime before 1978, the year a ban appeared in the city`s code. Local authorities extended this ban to all « off-road » vehicles, including ATVs, in 1989. The existing ban will not change on Jan. 1, city officials said. According to the municipal code, ATVs can cross roads, but they cannot drive them. Continuing our series of articles analyzing ATV laws in each state that emerged from this article, this article examines Alaska`s ATV laws.
Unfortunately, I had never been to Alaska, let alone driven a quad bike. Because of my lack of knowledge, I turned to Logan Wicken of Outpost Alaska in Fairbanks, Alaska. He was kind enough to share his knowledge with us so that we could better understand the legal requirements for owning and operating an ATV in Alaska. Fairbanks Mayor Bryce Ward introduced a resolution in April opposing the change. He went 6-3 and cited the dangers of four-wheeled vehicles driving on busy roads such as Airport Way or College Road. For UTVs that have not been approved for the road, use of public roads in Alaska is illegal unless a stretch of highway is designated by a local jurisdiction for ORV use or if snow, ice, or other natural conditions render the road unusable for other vehicles. PHEVs can also be driven alongside any road (within the maintained right-of-way), with the exception of controlled access highways where it is prohibited by local laws. « It is clear that the amendments to the regulations overlook several serious and important issues raised during the public comment phase earlier this year, » Belz said in an emailed statement.
« Allowing general-purpose vehicles on our roads and roads ignores our strategic safety goals and initiatives for state highways, ignores Federal Safety Agency guidelines, and neglects crash data and trends from other states that have adopted similar regulations. » Alaskan cities and other local jurisdictions may designate certain roads as open to ORVs. For example, the city of Nome allows PHEVs on city streets. Local areas also determine any other aspect of ORV rules, which may include prohibiting intersections on certain roads, requiring non-state equipment, or restricting the use of ORVs at certain times. Be sure to review the local resources of the areas where you plan to operate. From Anchorage, drive through the Kenai Peninsula borough, and it`s legal to use ATVs on the roads again. Alaska defines an off-road vehicle as one that has been « designed or adapted for driving across the country on unimproved terrain, ice or snow, and that has been declared unfit by its owner at the time of registration and deemed unfit by the Department as unfit for general use on the road. » In this context, the term « highway » refers to any public road. This means that PHEVs cannot be registered as passenger cars in Alaska and none of the other categories of vehicles listed in the Alaska Motor Vehicle Code can be used to register a UTV for legal use on the road. Among the possible candidates: The machine must have headlights, rear-facing red reflectors, and brake lights to be considered legal on the road.
Drivers are not required to wear a helmet, but passengers must. However, everyone must wear a seat belt if the vehicle is wearing one. « The government`s goal was to provide Alaskans with safe and affordable travel across the state, » Assistant Commissioner Dave Donley of the Alaska Department of Administration said in April. PHEVs must always remain more than three feet from the side of the road and may only enter the emergency lane for the purpose of the intersection. The cities of Soldotna, Kenai and Homer have also banned four-wheeled vehicles from the roads. Soldotna has a specific problem, according to City Manager Stephanie Queen. The city limits run along the center line of some local streets. She added: « We believe this will be confusing and potentially dangerous for motorists and ATV riders. » Proponents said other states — including Arizona, Utah, Montana and Wyoming — already allow SUVs under certain circumstances, and Alaska is expected to do the same. Within the city limits of Fairbanks, ATVs are prohibited on public roads. City officials had considered simply limiting it to 35 miles per hour, but they changed the proposal to a complete ban after hearing public testimony. Local traffic prohibitions for these vehicles within municipal or municipal boundaries must continue to be respected. In the City of Anchorage, for example, driving these vehicles on the roads will continue to be prohibited.
Many other cities and districts don`t have similar rules, and places like Fairbanks North Star Borough and Matanuska-Susitna Borough don`t have police and road authorities, which can make it impossible to create local bans. Shortly after the rule change was proposed, former public safety commissioner Amanda Price said on social media that her department had assumed the idea came from a close friend of the governor or a donor to his campaign. She said department officials had warned the governor`s office not to go ahead because it could lead to additional deaths on the roads. Snowmobiles and four-wheeled vehicles are already used as regular modes of transportation in rural Alaska, and many small towns and villages allow them on local roads. â We have prepared a regulation, in case this becomes a problem, but now. We are following the example of the state, » she said. Yes! As mentioned earlier, you need to make sure that children under the age of 16 are using a machine that is suitable for their size.