OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE SAFETY ENCOURAGED

Salt Lake – As the weather warms and riders head out on off-highway vehicles (OHVs), Utah State Park managers remind everyone to ride safely and responsibly. Riders should be properly trained and prepared, and ride in a responsible manner.



All OHVs must display a current OHV registration sticker when operated or transported on public lands or roads. Off-highway motorcycles may be registered as street legal if they are safety inspected and insured. OHV registrations expire annually on the last day of the month the OHV was purchased.



OHV registration fees go back into the sport. Of the $20.50 collected from each registration, $13.50 is dedicated to the improvement of summer and winter OHV opportunities.



Registration decals must be mounted in a visible location as follows:

Motorcycles - On each fork

Snowmobiles - On both sides of the hood, pan or tunnel

All other off-highway vehicles - On the front and rear of the vehicle



Utah State Parks urges parents to enroll children in a Know Before You Go! training course, which is required by Utah law. By passing this course, drivers eight through 16 may legally operate an OHV. Drivers 16 years and older must have a valid driver’s license or OHV education certificate. Remember, children under age eight cannot operate an OHV on public land.



To register for Know Before You Go! classes or for information on OHV laws and riding areas, contact the OHV Information Center at (801) 538-7433 from within Salt Lake City, or 1-800-OHV-RIDE (648-7433) from outside the area.

Utah motorized access activists unite on Utah's Capitol Hill

Utah motorized access activists unite on Utah’s Capitol Hill this Friday to encourage the Governor and legislators to protect motorized access to public land in Utah.

Representatives from the motorized community and some state legislators will give short speeches.

The Utah Shared Access Alliance (USA-ALL) has called for all those interested in protecting motorized access to public land in Utah to come to Capitol Hill this Friday and let their voices be heard. “People need to become actively involved with the issues and demand that our elected officials represent our values and interests.” said Michael Swenson Executive Director of USA-ALL. USA-ALL is a small grass roots organization with thousands of members most of whom reside in Utah. USA-ALL is committed to uniting the motorized community and directing their energy towards federal, State, and local governments, and encouraging officials to protect responsible motorized access to the beautiful back country of Utah. “We love nature and the great outdoors just like many other non motorized recreationists, but some have labeled us as insensitive or just plain ignorant to the wonders of nature. This simply isn’t true.” Swenson said, “Government agencies and some elected officials either want to ignore our issues or label us as second class citizens, for some reason they seem to believe that our particular use of public land is somehow politically incorrect, or is too controversial and they will not deal with the issues.” USA-ALL believes that motorized recreation if done responsibly is healthy for the environment, for communities, and for families. They want government officials to address the issues surrounding access to Utah’s back country. Swenson claims that, “Our elected officials have a responsibility to represent us and address these issues. We must hold them accountable for their actions or inactions on these important issues. It’s high time our government listens to the public. The public wants motorized access to Utah’s back country protected. If we keep going at the present rate of land and route closure; the motorized recreationists will be the next endangered species.”

Contact Info:

Joanne Butts 801-465-1145
Michael Swenson: 801-830-9112

Date: February 9, 2007

Time: 12:30 p.m.

Location: SLC, UT. Utah Capitol Complex; Main public foyer of the house building (West building)