Iowa standardizes SXS regulations for public roadways

[Tin Roof]

Several counties in Iowa have already been allowing sxs’s on public roadways but there’s been very little consistency from county to county. I live within 10 miles of 3 counties that allow sxs’s, and each of them has different regulations regarding equipment, what roads you can be on, and what times of day you can ride.

This new bill goes into effect on July 1, and will create consistency across the State. Cities and towns can still regulate as they want within their boundaries, but county supervisors have to allow this as is.

 

[TrikeKid]

The lack of statewide standardization thing is the biggest flaw of our street legal ATV/UTV situation here in WA. Counties with more thank 15,000 residents have to write it into law that they're allowed. Been in place for almost 10 years now and only about half the state allows it, three counties it's only designated roads that they're allowed (not just any 35mph road). If they'd let me, my quad would have turn signals and mirrors on it by the end of the week but my county is one of the designated no-fun-zones.

 

[Tiha]

I have been following this as well. I am disappointed that it doesn't go farther.

Why can't I hop on my ATV and legally run down the street 6 blocks to Casey's can get gas or breakfast?

It is arguably safer than a Motorcycle.

Never the less I am glad they are making some progress.

 

[AKnate]

They passed that here earlier this year as well. It applied to all off road vehicles that don't tear up the road.

The town I'm near voted it down and said, no, tough shit. There's a handful of rich folks nearby what would be a trail and they have their assholes in a bind over the noise, dust, shenanigans, etc. I can drive to the town line legally and that's it. Annoying because the gas station and food is like a 1/4 mile inside the town line.

Now a "tractor" is allowed pretty much anywhere. So... I guess if a person had a buggy, that could be called a tractor. I'm considering doing that for my Unimog 406, which is a legit tractor in most countries.

 

[Tin Roof]

I have been following this as well. I am disappointed that it doesn't go farther.

Why can't I hop on my ATV and legally run down the street 6 blocks to Casey's can get gas or breakfast?

It is arguably safer than a Motorcycle.

Never the less I am glad they are making some progress.

We’ve been spoiled over here. All of the towns we’d care to drive to already allow sxs traffic.

 

[arse_sidewards]

They passed that here earlier this year as well. It applied to all off road vehicles that don't tear up the road.

The town I'm near voted it down and said, no, tough shit. There's a handful of rich folks nearby what would be a trail and they have their assholes in a bind over the noise, dust, shenanigans, etc. I can drive to the town line legally and that's it. Annoying because the gas station and food is like a 1/4 mile inside the town line.

Now a "tractor" is allowed pretty much anywhere. So... I guess if a person had a buggy, that could be called a tractor. I'm considering doing that for my Unimog 406, which is a legit tractor in most countries.

rich

people

ruin

everything

 

[IowaOffRoad]

To be honest, this affects most everyone I know not at all, where we live its never been codified "legal", but you have to be a complete dumbass on one to ever get cited over it. If you are a dumbass now, you will still get cited for something, just not driving ATV/UTV on the road

 

[Tin Roof]

To be honest, this affects most everyone I know not at all, where we live its never been codified "legal", but you have to be a complete dumbass on one to ever get cited over it. If you are a dumbass now, you will still get cited for something, just not driving ATV/UTV on the road

When I used to take a week off every November to trap and bowhunt I'd spend that entire week traveling only by sxs to the farms I trapped/hunted and to town for supplies. That was before any counties/towns had passed any laws allowing sxs traffic. The cops just left you alone as long as you weren't being an idiot. Another benefit to living in a rural farming area.

 

[Tiha]

To be honest, this affects most everyone I know not at all, where we live its never been codified "legal", but you have to be a complete dumbass on one to ever get cited over it.

Gotta love small town Iowa, if the sheriff/cop doesn't mind then everyone can get away with it. LOL

When I was a kid we were deer hunting, running deer with a pickup. I was like 14 years old and said, isn't this illegal? As we are sitting in lawnchairs in the back of the pickup with loaded shotguns in hand.
Guy that took me along says, nope because the DNR guy is sitting right there next to you. LOL

Driving through Des Moines on more than one occasion I have seen large groups of illegal bikes and ATV's running down 14th street making a scene, blocking both lanes.

If I tried something like that I would get locked up. Just my luck I guess.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

You think SxS's are expensive now, wait until the government starts regulating stricter safety and emissions because people want to drive them around town like a fucking car. Buy a prerunner if you want to drive a Pro4 down the street and stop fucking up the SxS market, its fucked up bad enough now.

 

[Tin Roof]

You think SxS's are expensive now, wait until the government starts regulating stricter safety and emissions because people want to drive them around town like a fucking car. Buy a prerunner if you want to drive a Pro4 down the street and stop fucking up the SxS market, its fucked up bad enough now.

Last Saturday a local fairgrounds had a sxs ride fundraiser. The ride was 20% on-road and 80% trails on private land. I wasn't able to make it but a friend of mine is on the fair board and he said there was over 300 machines there. Odds are that a majority of these people live within a 30 minute ride from the fairgrounds. If they all had to trailer their sxs's to the fairgrounds to ride, they would have been lucky to see 100 machines.

I get your point, but where I live the market is already as fucked up as it can possibly get. I can easily list off a dozen people I know that have $35-$40k rides on order so they can have ac/heat. Access to the public road system is going to be great for the small town bars/restaurants, and for fundraisers like this one.

I spent $26k last year on my Commander max and honestly, that's my limit. I told the wife that if we decide to get rid of it I'm not upgrading to another sxs, I'll just get a jeep again.

 

[Wades_76_cj7]

Wife and I took a rip Sunday in our RZR. Drove the 2 lane highway about 4 miles to get to a county road to go by a buddy's house. He wasn't home so we ran county roads as much as we could and went to the inlaws. They live on a 2 lane state highway and had to travel about a mile on it to get there. visited for a bit then headed back to town. I went about 5 miles down the 2 lane state highway before I got nervous and turned off onto gravel again. Around here it's not legal on highways but the cops don't bother you if you are just connecting gravel roads or checking livestock. Drive 5+ miles on pavement made me nervous and didn't wanna deal with a State Trooper having a bad day. (there is a state trooper that lives just outside town).


While it's fun to blast down the highway in short bursts and gravel road cruise over to a friend's place, driving on the highway makes me nervous. Let's face it, getting hit in a SXS by a car even a Honda Fit size car is gonna fuck up the SXS occupants really bad.

 

[Tiha]

While it's fun to blast down the highway in short bursts and gravel road cruise over to a friend's place, driving on the highway makes me nervous. Let's face it, getting hit in a SXS by a car even a Honda Fit size car is gonna fuck up the SXS occupants really bad.

I remember feeling that way on snowmobiles. Fun to run down the road when it probably is not impassable by auto, but at the same time it feels weird and anxious. Not enjoyable.