Bonnie George
08-31-2007, 09:28 AM
Officials put brakes on ATV ban
Plan would have outlawed vehicles from unpaved roads
A proposal to outlaw all-terrain vehicles from unpaved public roads in Santa Rosa County went down in flames on Thursday.
It came down to government regulation versus individual responsibility.
Individual responsibility won.
On a 3-1 vote, the County Commission voted against invoking an exemption to state law that would prohibit operating ATVs on unpaved roads with speed limits of less than 35 mph.
The law, which went into effect last October, bans the operation of ATVs on paved roads and unpaved roads with posted speed limits above 35 mph. The law, however, gives each county the option of banning the vehicles from all public roads.
Commission Chairman Tom Stewart first proposed the ban because of safety concerns.
But even he voted against the measure. The only yes vote came from Commissioner John Broxson. Commissioner Bob Cole was absent.
"They're very dangerous. They're very risky," Broxson said. "There's a lot of young people involved. I think it's a safety issue."
Said Stewart: "It was my concern that one of these
16-year-olds we have driving around on these dirt roads in pickup trucks wouldn't see a 12-year-old on an ATV and hit him head-on. Having now read the law ... it says minors must be under the supervision of a licensed driver, so a 12-year-old should not be on the road alone, anyway."
The measure amounts to a proposed solution in search of a problem, Commissioner Gordon Goodin said.
"Is this a big deal? I'm not sure why we're even addressing it," he said. "Let's not pussyfoot around. I think we have bigger problems in Santa Rosa County."
Members of the public who spoke Thursday told the commission there was no need for a government ban.
"People need to take responsibility for themselves," Milton resident Charles Mathews said. "I know what to do, and I know what not to do. I want to keep this privilege in Santa Rosa County."
Kevin Wells, a Pace resident, has three all-terrain vehicles. He and his sons, ages 10 and 15, ride them on north Santa Rosa dirt roads and at a hunting club.
"My children always wear their helmets. I've taught them the rules of the road," Wells said. "You can get killed doing anything. A lot of the accidents that happen are people who are new to the vehicles."
Commissioner Don Salter agreed.
"It's about parenting," he said. "It's about parents keeping their kids safe."
Louis Cooper
The Pensacola News Journal
Published - August, 10, 2007
Plan would have outlawed vehicles from unpaved roads
A proposal to outlaw all-terrain vehicles from unpaved public roads in Santa Rosa County went down in flames on Thursday.
It came down to government regulation versus individual responsibility.
Individual responsibility won.
On a 3-1 vote, the County Commission voted against invoking an exemption to state law that would prohibit operating ATVs on unpaved roads with speed limits of less than 35 mph.
The law, which went into effect last October, bans the operation of ATVs on paved roads and unpaved roads with posted speed limits above 35 mph. The law, however, gives each county the option of banning the vehicles from all public roads.
Commission Chairman Tom Stewart first proposed the ban because of safety concerns.
But even he voted against the measure. The only yes vote came from Commissioner John Broxson. Commissioner Bob Cole was absent.
"They're very dangerous. They're very risky," Broxson said. "There's a lot of young people involved. I think it's a safety issue."
Said Stewart: "It was my concern that one of these
16-year-olds we have driving around on these dirt roads in pickup trucks wouldn't see a 12-year-old on an ATV and hit him head-on. Having now read the law ... it says minors must be under the supervision of a licensed driver, so a 12-year-old should not be on the road alone, anyway."
The measure amounts to a proposed solution in search of a problem, Commissioner Gordon Goodin said.
"Is this a big deal? I'm not sure why we're even addressing it," he said. "Let's not pussyfoot around. I think we have bigger problems in Santa Rosa County."
Members of the public who spoke Thursday told the commission there was no need for a government ban.
"People need to take responsibility for themselves," Milton resident Charles Mathews said. "I know what to do, and I know what not to do. I want to keep this privilege in Santa Rosa County."
Kevin Wells, a Pace resident, has three all-terrain vehicles. He and his sons, ages 10 and 15, ride them on north Santa Rosa dirt roads and at a hunting club.
"My children always wear their helmets. I've taught them the rules of the road," Wells said. "You can get killed doing anything. A lot of the accidents that happen are people who are new to the vehicles."
Commissioner Don Salter agreed.
"It's about parenting," he said. "It's about parents keeping their kids safe."
Louis Cooper
The Pensacola News Journal
Published - August, 10, 2007