Police warn against ATV riders hitting the road

Warmer summer weather has seen a spike in complaints about dangerous ATV driving, say police.

"We've seen ATVs going on the roadway in the nighttime with no lights, we've had complaints of an ATV passing between two vehicles on the yellow line," saidRCMPCpl. Trevor O'Keefe.

"The stuff we're seeing is outrageous," hetoldHere and Now'sJonathanCroweinHolyrood.

• Zero tolerance for illegal use of ATVs, warn RCMP

"Our complaints have certainly gone up since the summer started and the weather has broken," he said. "It happens quite a bit. We're getting a lot of complaints of this kind of activity."

O'Keefe said ATV riders routinely take the off-road vehicles onto paved roadways, an infraction that can bring a fine of anywhere from $100 to $500 under provincial ATV laws.

More serious breaches can bring charges of dangerous driving under the Criminal Code, said O'Keefe, which could even mean jail time.

"The bottom line is, you're not allowed to operate an ATV on the roadway, and the roadway includes the shoulder," said O'Keefe.

"You're not permitted to do it. If you're operating the ATV on the track, you have to stay on the track. If you have to go anywhere else past that, you're supposed to put it on a trailer."

It's not only illegal, said O'Keefe; it's dangerous.

"These ATVs, they have larger tires, so some of the inexperienced drivers, once they hit the pavement and the knobby tires meet, it's a recipe for disaster for sure," he said.

'I've never had a problem'

Not all residents are convinced police need to crack down.

"I've never had a problem with the bikes up here," said Garret Mahoney, out walking his dog in Holyrood as CBC was speaking to O'Keefe.

He said he was unconcerned about ATV and dirtbike riders using side country roads.

"This is not a road with cars and trucks. ... I don't see a problem up here."