Illegal ATV riders threaten
legal drivers' safety
on Floyd's Country roads.
FCIV has received countless emails from county residents having either close calls with illegal ATV riders on our county and state roads or being annoyed by their high speed racing up and down private lanes and otherwise peaceful nooks around the county at all hours of the day and night..
Others report ATV'ers have run over pets and to avoid hitting these reckless and careless ATV'ers, forced cars off the road.
Illegal use ATV'ers are not opposed to trespassing as they have been reported to have driven through yards and over flower beds, destroyed nursery stock, damaged hay fields or through streams and creeks killing frogs, turtles and fish and polluting the water with dripping oil or other chemicals from the machines.
It is both a county law and state law that makes it illegal for ATV's to be driven on county or state roadways other than to cross them from one property to another.
Please note, if you have an accident with one of them or because of one of these illegal riders, it is you and your own insurance company that will bear the full cost of the trouble as these ATVs are not insured as a car or truck is.
You bear the full financial responsibility.
Emails repeat over and over how so many of these ATV's are being driven at full-tilt speed and they often have more than one person aboard and rarely is either wearing a helmet, another law requirement.
When witnessing illegal ATV activity, please complain to the sheriff's department. Do not call 911, but call 745-9334 and tell them you want to file a report about illegal ATV usage.
Nearly all of our residents now have digital cameras and/or cell phones with digital cameras.
Whenever you see anyone riding an ATV illegally, take pictures of them!!
And continue lodging your complaints with the authorities.
By the way, I own two ATV's used as utility vehicles on our farm.
- J.D. Dalton