Off-Road Vehicle InformationThousands of Americans use off-road vehicles responsibly for work and recreation. But a growing, irresponsible contingent of reckless riders damage public and private land, get themselves and others hurt, burden law enforcement, and ruin hunting, fishing and hiking experiences for the rest of us. Their actions are creating a backlash from sportsmen, property owners, ranchers, safety advocates, and taxpayers tired of paying to clean up the mess from irresponsible riders.
The Responsible RidersAcross the country, off-road vehicle riders safely use their vehicles to see the outdoors or for work. There are thousands of miles of trails nationwide designated specifically for off-road vehicle use. If you're an off-road vehicle rider, it's easy to find a trail in your state that allows you to safely enjoy the outdoors. It's important to remain safe while on the trails, so make sure you've read up on safety tips at ATVSafety.gov.
The Growing Contingent of Reckless RidersAs off-road vehicle use increases, there's a growing group of riders who are using their vehicles irresponsibly. These reckless riders are tearing up public and private land, poaching wildlife, and ruining the backcountry for sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts. All of this is putting an increased burden on law enforcement officers across the country and is imposing costs on the rest of us.
 | Damage to the Backcountry and Private Property: The number of off-road vehicles in the U.S. grew by 174% from 1993 to 2003, leading the Bush Administration to identify unmanaged recreation, particularly unmanaged off-roading, as one of the top four threats to America's forests. Private property owners are angry that riders tear up their land and cut down fences to ride where they want. These irresponsible riders tore down "No Trespassing" signs and turned the field by Ron Knudsen's 150-acre property in Washington into "their play area." "If they want in, they'll cut the fence. If they want out, they'll cut the fence," said Knudsen, who lives in Spokane County, near the Washington-Idaho border. "They do whatever they want to do." For more, click here. | | |  | Burden on Law Enforcement: According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), while off-roading represented about 10% of all visits to the lands they manage, reckless riding accounted for nearly 50% of all law enforcement incidents recorded by the Bureau in 2006. According to the National Association of Counties, local and county law enforcement officials are increasingly spending their time dealing with off-road vehicle-related issues. These reckless riders are putting a burden on our law enforcement officers, who aren't given the resources to keep up with the increasing amount of irresponsible and illegal behavior, and the riders are sticking taxpayers with the bill. For more information, click here. | | |  | Disrupting Hunting and Fishing: Many sportsmen who use off-road vehicles while they enjoy the outdoors, are increasingly outraged at irresponsible off-road vehicle riders who are ruining fish and game habitat in the backcountry. Irresponsible riders are scaring away game for hunters and destroying fishing streams by breaking down banks and washing silt into once-pristine streams. Worse, some riders are using off-road vehicles to poach game. For example, in Ohio, a former poaching gang leader was recently caught with his off-road vehicle and eight untagged deer (see a photo of his illegal kill here). For more, click here. | | |  | Child Safety: Off-road vehicles are important to many people's lifestyles, for both recreation and work. But as activity grows, too many children are paying the price - roughly 30% of all off-road vehicle deaths and injuries are kids under 16. Over the past five years, the child death rate due to accidents has increased 24% and the child hospitalization rate has gone up nearly 70%. For more, click here. |
Keeping Trail Riding ResponsibleThis growth in reckless off-road vehicle riding is creating a growing public backlash among sportsmen, private property owners and law enforcement. Although this reckless group is causing trouble, thousands of off-road vehicle riders are law-abiding, and they want to stop these "rogue" riders from ruining things for everyone else. We can head off this threat to access and enjoyment of the outdoors by working now to develop affordable, common-sense solutions that restore outdoor areas, prevent theft and damage, and keep trail riding responsible and safe for everyone.
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