Resolutions

Whereas there is an increasing number of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in our urban centers; and Whereas a greater number of these are being transported to lesser populated areas; and Whereas safety training is limited and unsafe driving habits causing injury and death are being noticed but cannot be properly reported; and Whereas the use of ATV’s by underage drivers is increasing; and Whereas ATVs driven irresponsibly can cause damage to the environment; and Whereas these vehicle can be used in acts of vandalism; and Whereas identification and recovery of stolen ATVs by police is almost impossible; and Whereas a registration process would allow the province to put liability back on ATV owners, decreasing operation by untrained drivers, while minimizing unsafe driving habits and environmental impacts; Therefore be it resolved that the SUMA partner with the Saskatchewan All-Terrain Vehicle Association to lobby the provincial government to create a registration process for ATVs.

As you are aware, The all Terrain Vehicles Act prohibits ATVs from being operated on public roads, as they are not designed for on-road use. It does, however, permit the council of a municipality to pass bylaws to either allow travel on public roads, or to further restrict the operation in other public municipality. While a municipality can pass bylaws allowing on-road ATV operation, the operator is still required to follow the rules established through legislation and regulations. For example, the operator must hold a valid driver's licence and wear an approved motorcycle helmet and proper eye protection. Youth between 12 and 15 are permitted to operate an ATV on public land, with the exception of roads, only if they successfully complete an approved training course or are supervised by someone who has held a driver's Licence continuously for the preceding 365 days. furthermore, if an ATV is being operated on public land, the ATV owner is required to hold a minimum of $200,000 in third-party liability insurance. LIke you, SGI and the Government of Saskatchewan are concerned with ATV safety. SGI, as the administrator of The All Terrain Vehicles act and its regulations, strives to develop fair and balanced policy and regulations that do not jeopardize traffic safety. In doing so, SGI relies on law enforcement to enforce traffic laws. An annual registration system could provided a provincial database for use by law enforcement officials for ATV identification. However, this identification would be useful only if all owners of ATVs registered their units. Similar to snowmobiles, many would choose not to register their ATVs because they are used only on private property. Registration may also provide a false sense to operators that ATVs may be legally operated on public roads. The issue of registering ATVs in Saskatchewan has been reviewed and, at this time, no further consideration is being given to this issue.