A New Law For Western New York ATV Owners

The new year is here and the winter is fading away. As we spring forward and pray for warmer days, you may be planning on getting the ATV out and putting the snowmobile away. Here in New York State, there are some new laws to keep in mind.

The winter weather was rather mild, to say the least. Aside from a couple of lake effect snow storms that dropped a good amount of snow in a short amount of time, this was one of the easiest winters we have had in years. In fact, February was the second warmest on record for Buffalo.

March is here and it is time to think about the fun we are about to have on the trails and across our properties on side by sides and ATVs.

New York State changed a law pertaining to age when it comes to being on an ATV. According to reports,

New language in the bill raises the age from ten years old, to 14 years old. The amendment also removed the allowance of a person sixteen years of age or over who holds an ATV safety certificate to supervise operation. Now, supervision must be administered by someone 18 years or older.

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If you are looking to replace or buy a new four wheeler soon, there are some who are concerned that New York State will be doing away with the sale of gas powered off road vehicles.

A new law will require ATVs and other off-road vehicles to be powered by electricity (batteries) not gas!

In a report from Spectrum News, the law states that...
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Pete Harckham (and Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, A.4302). It also mandates that all off-road vehicles and equipment sold or leased in New York be zero-emission by 2035. Medium and heavy-duty vehicles have an extra 10 years to get into compliance – their deadline is 2045. And finally, the bill directs the state to develop a comprehensive plan to guide the transition to an all–electric transportation sector.