“Charged Driven Off Road Vehicle On Highway”

Hey I was charged driving my utv in the municipalitie of tweed witch is advertising they want off road vehicles bussiness their is even videos showing them so Im going to court about it tomorrow I think the laws are all over the place I been reading about this for months and it refers to off road vehicles can be driven in municipalities if there is a by law in place any suggestion

You are misled a little. There is a general definition of off-road vehicle which includes many types of vehicles such as ATVs, Dirt Bikes, Argos, Side by Sides (aka UTVs) Dune Buggies etc. Regulation 316/03 permits specifically ATVs (a typical "quad") on designated roadways.

Tweed By-Law 2004-14 designates that it's roads are the type that ATVs can be driven on. It further goes on to say ATVs (not Off Road Vehicles generally) are permitted on it's highways. See Tweed By-Law. Reg 316/03 is the parent regulation that covers this all other aspects of what types of vehicles are allowed and rules of the road etc.

Nowhere in Southern Ontario are Side by Sides permitted on highways, except for the farmer/trapper exemption under the Off Road Vehicles Act that has been in place for years.

just info I found...

(MTO site http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/a ... side.shtml)

•A side-by-side off-road vehicle has driver and passenger seating beside each other, similar to a car. It is usually built with a hood, a steering wheel and foot pedals, instead of a motorcycle-type handle bar and thumb throttle.

• A side-by-side off-road vehicle must be registered and display a rear licence plate, except in exempt areas such as far northern Ontario. It must be insured under a motor vehicle liability policy

• A side-by-side off-road vehicle is prohibited from use on provincial highways and municipal roads

• A side-by-side off-road vehicle can travel directly across a highway (where permitted), if the driver is at least 16 years of age and holds a valid drivers licence.

(MTO site http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/a ... ding.shtml)

•As described in the "Off-Road Riding" section, an ATV must be registered and insured.

•An ATV that weighs 450 kilograms or less and has an overall width not greater that 1.35 m (excluding mirrors) may travel along some provincial highways and on municipal roads, only if the municipality has a bylaw permitting their use.

• An ATV is allowed to travel on Highways 500 to 899, 7000 series highways and highways with low traffic volumes, but is prohibited from traveling on 400 series highways, the Queen Elizabeth Way, and sections of the Trans-Canada Highway

(MTO site http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/a ... ATVs.shtml)

• A two-up ATV is a type of off-road vehicle that has four wheels, steering handlebars, a drivers seat and a passenger seat directly behind the driver.

Note: a single rider ATV that has been modified to carry a passenger by installing an after-market seat and foot pegs is not considered to be a two-up ATV.

• A two-up ATV must be registered and display a rear licence plate. It must also be insured under a motor vehicle liability policy.

• A two-up ATV is prohibited from provincial highways and municipal roads, even if the driver is not carrying a passenger.

• A two-up ATV can be driven directly across a highway (where permitted), if the driver is 16 years of age and holds a valid drivers licence.

"all-terrain vehicle" means an off-road vehicle that,

(a) has four wheels, the tires of all of which are in contact with the ground,

(b) has steering handlebars,

(c) has a seat that is designed to be straddled by the driver, and

(d) is designed to carry a driver only and no passengers

The Ontario Highway Traffic Act allows ATV to ride on the shoulder of rural roads. On the other hand UTVs are not allowed, thus making connection from trail to trail next to impossible. This is an inequity in ridership between ATV and UTV. Ontario is behind many provinces and states.

UTV, introduced to the market early in 2000, is a much safer vehicle as compare to ATVs. It has longer wheel base, roll cage, body, seat belts... The HTA needs an update recognizing UTV.

I have written to my MPP, Kathleen Wynne in Don Valley West, so that they can go after MTO. I encourage other UTV riders do the same...