ATV Riding Laws – Illinois
Illinois ranks far below some of the top states for ATV accident deaths, based on Consumer Product Safety Commission statistics, but they still do occur. From 1982 to 2015, at least 289 people were killed in all-terrain vehicle accidents, which is more than states such as New Jersey, Colorado, and Montana, and New Hampshire. The state of Illinois forbids operators to drive on paved roads or highways. However, they can cross these roads if necessary.
In 2010, a law was enacted allowing ATVs used for farming to run on town- and county-owned roads. Operators need a driver’s license and insurance to do legally drive on these surfaces. It is still illegal to ride on public roads if not engaged in farm-related activities. Driving is permitted within off-highway vehicle parks, but owners and operators must have a public access sticker on their vehicles.
Other rules and regulations pertaining to all-terrain vehicles in Illinois include:
- Titling of vehicles purchased on or later than January 1, 1998
- Farm-use ATVs must have at least two white headlamps, two red tail lamps, and red or amber brake lamps; they must also have front and rear turn signals with colors specified by the law.
- Driving a vehicle carelessly or recklessly is illegal.
- Drivers are restricted from operating an all-terrain vehicle in a nature preserve, tracks or right of way of a railroad, in a tree nursery, or on private property unless the owner provides written or verbal permission.
It is also illegal to drive too fast for the conditions one is driving in and to ride above a posted speed limit. The law prohibits operating an ATV on frozen public bodies of water within 100 feet of an individual or another vehicle or within 100 feet of a place of residence between midnight and 6 a.m. Additional prohibitions include those forbidding one to carry a firearm while operating the vehicle, emitting pollutants exceeding the specification of the Environmental Protection Act, or disposing of garbage or other materials from their all-terrain vehicle.
A Lack of Age Restrictions
Illinois has no age restrictions regarding riding an ATV, although a driver transporting someone under 16 while committing a violation may face an additional fine. This has been the subject of scrutiny. Children have been injured or killed in preventable accidents, including one in Illinois in 2015, and a 15-year-old boy in Macoupin County in July 2017.
Also, Illinois does not have helmet laws or limit the number of passengers. Safety certification is not required, and no federal laws are in place to provide legislators, law enforcement, or operators with guidance. Parents of children deceased due to ATV accidents, and consumer advocates too, have pushed for new laws and safety course requirements, according to The Chicago Tribune. Others have questioned whether safety requirement would affect those who ride in private areas. There’s also been a movement to encourage a ban on riding on pavement, where many accidents (and a high percentage of fatal ones) occur, as they do in other states.