Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §13157, sub-§24 is enacted to read:

24.__Operating ATV on private road.__A person may not operate an ATV on a private road in violation of a restriction placed on the operation of an ATV by the landowner pursuant to this subsection.__A landowner may:

A.__Require that an operator of an ATV on a private road be a licensed driver;

B.__Require that an operator of an ATV on a private road obey all the applicable rules of the road that other motor vehicles on that private road must obey, including, but not limited to, speed limits, rules governing lane usage and rules governing yielding the right-of-way; and

C.__Place restrictions on the number of ATVs that may travel together in a group and the distance that groups must maintain between one another.

If a landowner prohibits the operation of ATVs on a private road, that landowner also shall prohibit the operation of similar recreational vehicles on that private road.

A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of not less than $100 nor more than $500 may be adjudged.

SUMMARY

This bill permits a landowner to:

1. Require that an operator of an ATV on a private road be a licensed driver;

2. Require that an operator of an ATV on a private road obey all the applicable rules of the road that other motor vehicles on that private road must obey, including, but not limited to, speed limits, rules governing lane usage and rules governing yielding the right-of-way; and

3. Place restrictions on the number of ATVs that may travel together in a group and the distance that groups must maintain between one another.