By Guest Columnist Steve Segner
Sedona, AZ — City Ordinance 2023 proposes to ban ATVs from Sedona on a technicality related to tires. This ordinance will ban most ATV’s on city and state owned Hwy’s
We all know that ATVs are unpopular in Sedona. They are loud, have a negative impact on the environment, and in many ways are a lightning rod for the local’s frustrations with the tourism industry.
But ATVs are legal.
The federal government and the state of Arizona regulate ATVs and off-road vehicles, and renting them is a legitimate business subject to these regulations.
Many ATV centers are owned and operated by local citizens, and this ordinance would have a devastating effect on their businesses and harm the local economy.
In addition to harming local businesses, the ordinance will also inconvenience some residents, because it also restricts golf carts and other small service vehicles commonly used daily in Sedona.
There may be a way to reduce the impact of ATVs or to limit their access in certain areas, but it would be better for everyone concerned if local stakeholders could come to a consensus. Local business owners, city staff, and other community groups such as the Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization and the Oak Creek Watershed Council may be able to provide guidance and devise strategies to meet the needs of environmental stewardship and economic development together.
If the City passes the ordinance, it will likely be challenged in court, or the Arizona legislature may respond as they did with short-term rentals, securing citizen rights to engage in business. It will almost certainly be challenged one way or another, and odds are that forcing the ordinance through now, may lead to the opposite position being secured later. Negotiations and consensus would serve both short- and long-term interests best.
An example of a consensus solution might be to amend customer rental contracts with certain restrictions, such as Morgan Road, as a no-go area with agreed-upon fines imposed by the rental companies utilizing GPS tracking.
With everyone at the table working together, there are probably many solutions on offer that can address citizen concerns, protect local businesses, and safeguard the natural environment.
This City should pursue this path and not pass the ordinance.
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19 Comments
Well since they are OFF ROAD vehicles they should therefore stay OFF ROAD regardless of technicalities. Most also lack proper lighting, mirrors and turn signals. They also do not have bumpers so impacts with STREET vehicles definitely will not end well for anyone.
Now all need be done is for the Forest Service and BLM to require GPS tracking on all OFF ROAD rentals and to limit and enforce speeds, area access etc. and the fines for these violations need to be dramatically increased from what they currently are.
I applaud the City Government for working on the issue. Obviously there is much more legislative and multi agency work to be done.
????
1. Turn signals are NOT required in Arizona
2. They all have bumpers n tube frames. They crash just fine (full roll cage protection w engine in the rear)
3. The lights on most utv are better than most cars (especially if you add your own light bars)
4. I agree a lot of utv drivers act like assholes on the dirt roads but I see just as many as shoes driving their trucks the same way (really a mute point)
5. Bet you think you should be allowed to drive ur car/truck everywhere but not the utv’s ?
6. Unless you’ve received those fines you would have no idea if they are “high enough “…
Really try to import a vehicle from overseas with those specs. You cannot because they do not meet industry safety standards for US roadways.
The first sentence in this article is highly inaccurate:: “City Ordinance 2023 proposes to ban ATVs from Sedona on a technicality related to tires.”
In a recent City Council meeting, Mayor Jablow presented evidence showing that OHVs are not intended to be used on public roads or paved roadways. The Manufacturers clearly state on the Certificate of Origin (title) that “This vehicle is not intended for, and may not be registered for on-road use”.
The Polaris Product materials warning states, “This vehicle does not have highway safety features that on-road vehicles may have (air bags, anti-lock brakes, stability control, etc.). If another vehicle collides with you, the likelihood of a serious injury or death may be greater. While it may be legal locally to drive on some public roads in specific parts of the country, your vehicle was not designed or certified as an on-road motor vehicle. Polaris does not support public road use except as may be necessary to cross-roads designated for connecting off highway vehicle trail segments.”
Honda, Kawasaki and CamAm have similar warnings.
It is also now understood that the tires on OHVs are not manufactured for use on public roadways, per the DOT. And there is no permissible ways to authorize OHV tires for street use. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has sent out a bulletin to manufactures to stop placing “DOT compliant” on tires. They are NHS (Not for Highway Service).
City leaders met with the DOT and Polaris to discuss this issue. The DOT reaffirmed their position on tire design and confirmed that there are no approved tires for OHV operation on paved roads. Polaris stands by their policy that OHVs do not belong on public or paved roads. 60% of the OHVs in use in Sedona are Polaris.
The City has the authority and responsibility to regulate health and safety issues for the community. For this reason, the City is going to pursue passing a city ordinance to prohibit driving of OHVs on public roads that 1) are deemed by the Manufacture as not intended for on-road use or 2) have tires that are not DOT approved. This would be effective 30 days after passage. The review of the proposed ordinance will be in late May. The City will also bring this issue to the attention of the Arizona League of Cities and Towns. The City is also doing an environmental study to evaluate the impact of OHVs on the National Forest and the environment.
Yeah, it’s interesting that the only city in Arizona with millions of square miles of desert Sedona is the one worrying about its citizens safety? This is like Trump saying rapist and robbers were coming across the Mexican border. It’s really no different. Find a common enemy go after them get elected.
Avoid Steve’s comments as they are always inaccurate.
The city to remove these nuisance vehicles from the local roads. Just imagine if you were one of the unfortunate residents that lives on Broken Arrow with a parade of these driving by your home.
So the State makes it legal and now one town wants to fight? So you realize how much money is generated my tourists coming to AZ just ride both on and off-road!
So I put real L/T tires on my UTV.
Problem solved.
And while your at it add, headlights, turn signals, 5 mile hour bumpers, with catalytic converters. Why do they have to be so loud?
STREET LEGAL-
Do you realize the extensive damage OHV’s do to our environment especially our plant life and wildlife? Protecting our environment outweighs profit any day for anyone who cares about such things. Besides isn’t everyone complaining about fuel prices these days? And yet everyone has motorized toys, support the yuge waste of fossil fuels in automotive and boat racing?
Some people operate OHV’s responsible here and they are awesome tools for first responders who operate here. It’s when you turn the keys over to anyone and allow them to go nuts wherever they want without proper off road drivers education (as they do at the ATV rental businesses here) that you have problems-yuge problems!
Understand?
Steve, our City Attorney is very conservative. If he feels the City can restrict OHV use I feel confident any legal challenges will be defeated.
Guy Lamunyon
Keep Sedona Quiet
Here is video of Mayor Jablows discussion about OHVs – see link below. All of the vehicles being rented in Sedona say Not For highway Use (hence the name OHV for Off Highway Vehicle. Rental agencies will still be able to trailer the vehicles to trail heads for rent.
https://youtu.be/9ChrTJfIJPQ
Great. Now we will have flatbed trucks instead of OHVs clogging our streets and polluting our air..
Agreed, it would be really nice if people could talk and find solutions.
With the money the rental companies shovel in hourly they should be made to convert to Electric OHV’s by say 2025? Perhaps the city government could do air quality studies along 89A while the ATV’s roam freely, then do studies on carbon emissions from trailered ATV’s and finally on Electric OHV’s. I’ll bet electric wins out!
For now mandatory GPS tagging and tracking of all rentals (Jeep’s and ATV’) should be immediately implemented as well as making it mandatory to have the rental company’s name, contact info and vehicle ID # , colored vehicle flag specific to the rental company be prominently displayed in bright bold colors front, rear and each side of the vehicles so that complaints can be tracked and valid complaints supported by proof of ID and location of any potential violations such as speeding, reckless maneuvering (doughnuts) and driving in prohibited areas.
Lmao… brought the whiney ass liberals out of the wood work …
You like your freedoms to do whatever you want but not someone else if you don’t agree w them….
You’re pretty slow aren’t you. MAGGOTS only believe in freedom of themselves and are trying to establish Sharia Law in FL and elsewhere where people who legally and constitutionally voice opposition to them are jailed, fined or barred from practice. You also just want your draft dodging commie Furher back because your ilk cannot admit he’s a loser. Good luck wit it all brother!
Over the full 5-year period from 2016 through 2020, CPSC staff estimates that there were 526,900 emergency department-treated injuries associated with OHVs (ATVs, ROVs, and/or UTVs) in the United States. This corresponds to an estimated annual average of 105,400 emergency department-treated injuries over the period.
https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/2021-Report-of-Deaths-and-Injuries-Invoving-Off-Highway-Vehicles-with-more-than-Two-Wheels.pdf
Yea those roll cages are working awesome! lol
https://consumerfed.org/off-highway-vehicle-safety/
Kids and Off-Highway Vehicles: What to Know About UTV and ROV Accidents
Off-road motorsports have become increasingly popular in recent years.
But while exploring the outdoors on a Utility Task Vehicle or Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV), Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle (ROV), Multipurpose Off-Highway Utility Vehicle (MOHUV), All Purpose Vehicle (APV) or other Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) can be a lot of fun for the whole family, these activities are also quite dangerous, especially when an OHV or its components were defectively designed or manufactured.
https://www.childinjuryfirm.com/blog/post/kids-and-off-highway-vehicles-what-to-know-about-utv-and-rov-accidents.aspx