Due to increases in off-road vehicle offenses and accidents lately, The Haysi Police Department wishes to remind everyone of some of the most common rules for operating an Off-road Vehicle within the Town of Haysi. Failure to follow the rules below will result in enforcement actions.
All persons operating or riding any off-road vehicle within the limits of the Town shall be subject to the following rules in addition to any restrictions or limitations imposed by any other governing body having jurisdiction to impose such rules, regulations, ordinances, or statutes:
• All operators shall limit the operation of any off-road vehicle to only those highways designated for such use and marked by approved VDOT Signage.
• Regardless of any posted speed limit, no person shall operate an off-road vehicle at a speed greater than 25 miles per hour.
• Any person operating any off-road vehicle on the highways of the Town shall obey all rules of the road applicable to other motor vehicles.
• All persons operating or riding any off-road vehicle shall wear a helmet and eye protection of a type approved by the Superintendent of the Virginia State Police.
• All persons operating any off-road vehicle shall limit such operation to daylight hours only.
• All persons operating any off-road vehicle shall be a licensed driver or shall be otherwise accompanied by a licensed driver who is either accompanying the same vehicle or occupying another vehicle within a prudent distance.
• No person shall operate any off-road vehicle if his driver’s license, whether issued by the Commonwealth or another jurisdiction, has been suspended or revoked.
• All persons operating any off-road vehicle shall acquire a permit from the Southwest Regional Recreational Authority (“SRRA”) and shall pay all attendant fees required by the SRRA.
• Any person operating an off-road vehicle shall carry ATV liability insurance coverage or, in the alternative, sign a waiver of liability on the permit application form.
• No person shall be allowed to operate any off-road vehicle with a passenger on board unless such vehicle is equipped and designated by the manufacturer to be operated with more than one rider.
• Any off-road vehicle shall be in a safe running condition and shall have all factory safety equipment, including spark arrestors, installed and in visible working condition. Any person in violation of this section shall be fined as defined in Virginia Code §46.2-1003.
• Any person operating an off-road vehicle shall operate such vehicle in a safe manner.
• The Police Department for the Town of Haysi or any other valid policing authority shall be hereby authorized to issue citations to any person violating the foregoing provisions of this ordinance. In addition, such policing authority shall be hereby authorized to revoke and remove SRRA permits when multiple violations of this ordinance or of the traffic laws of the Town or of the Commonwealth of Virginia have occurred.
Any violation of the foregoing provisions of this ordinance which are also a violation of Chapter 18.2 or Chapter 46.2 of the Code of Virginia shall be punishable by a civil penalty of not more than $500.00.
Effective May 1, 2014
