All-terrain vehicles are employed for a variety of different uses. For some, these vehicles offer a great way to get out and enjoy the outdoors. For others, ATVs provide the easiest way to navigate terrain otherwise too treacherous for larger motor vehicles. However, states retain the right to decide whether these vehicles, usually found in forests and hills, can be used on public roads. In particular, the state of Wisconsin does not generally allow an ATV rider to use a public road.

According to the law in Wisconsin, there are several disallowances for these vehicles that might otherwise be assumed legal. Perhaps the most important is the general ban on four-wheelers from entering public roadways. Although there are limited exceptions across the state, the general rule is that an ATV cannot use a public road. This restriction is largely due to the small profile of the vehicle, lack of safety measures, and their relatively slow speed compared to other traffic.

In addition to being barred from public roads, ATVs cannot use the space around a public road as a pathway. Many four-wheeler operators may recognize the illegality of using the street itself, and decide that using a shoulder or off-road ditch nearby is legal. Like the general disallowance for the road itself, these spaces are largely considered part of the street for the sake of all-terrain vehicle laws.

Finally, some ATV owners may drive their vehicle from their house to the nearest ATV trail. While these trails and routes are legally permissible places to use an all-terrain vehicle, getting from a residential area to that trail may take the ATV on a public route. This use of public roads is prohibited.

To learn more about your rights and options if you have been injured because of a negligent four-wheeler operator, contact the Rhinelander auto accident lawyers of Habush, Habush & Rottier, S.C., today.