An Act To Require an Operator of an All-terrain Vehicle Driven on Certain Roads To Have a Driver's License and Liability Insurance
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §13157-A, sub-§6, ¶H, as amended by PL 2007, c. 33, §1, is further amended to read:
H. Notwithstanding paragraphs A to G, an ATV may be operated on the extreme right of a public way or as directed by the appropriate governmental unit within the public way of a municipality or an unorganized or unincorporated township if the appropriate governmental unit has designated the public way as an ATV-access route. An ATV must travel in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic on a public way designated as an ATV-access route. A public way designated by an appropriate governmental unit as an ATV-access route must be posted conspicuously at regular intervals by that governmental unit with highly visible signs designating the ATV-access route. Before designating a public way as an ATV-access route, the appropriate governmental unit shall make appropriate determinations that ATV travel on the extreme right of the public way or as directed by the appropriate governmental unit within the public way may be conducted safely and will not interfere with vehicular traffic on the public way. For purposes of this paragraph, "appropriate governmental unit" means the Department of Transportation, county commissioners or municipal officers within their respective jurisdictions. The jurisdiction of each appropriate governmental unit over public ways pursuant to this paragraph is the same as its jurisdiction over the passage of vehicles on public ways pursuant to Title 29-A, section 2395. Municipal or county law enforcement officials having jurisdiction have primary enforcement authority over any route established under this paragraph. A person may not operate an ATV for more than 500 yards on a public way designated as an ATV-access route unless the person possesses a valid driver's license under Title 29-A, chapter 11 and the person maintains liability insurance for the ATV comparable to the required liability insurance under Title 29-A, chapter 13, subchapter 2 for a motor vehicle.
SUMMARY
This bill requires an operator of an all-terrain vehicle who travels more than 500 yards on a public way designated as an ATV-access route to possess a valid driver's license and motor vehicle liability insurance for the ATV.