Hiya - one of the things I am very very much looking forward to wence we arrive in your amazing country, is getting a huge quad and getting down with the great outdoors.

I am very excited about this BUT, in the UK if you ride one of these they throw you in prison with a very big cell mate!!

Anywho, what's the law in Canada and particularly Newfoundland?

I believe that Newfoundland is just 1 bug trail anyway, but until I found this site (which is amazing), I had no idea who to ask.

Does anyone know the legalities and any ATV clubs of like minded fools?

Chris.

Different municipalities have different laws about riding on roads, and private property is still private property.

ATV & Skidoo's are big on the Rock.

The law around their use can be found somewhere on www.gov.nl.ca if you search. Basically No kids under 16 on ATV's, they must be registered, you can't drive on the road although you can cross the road, must wear a helmet etc. There have been a number of ATV related fatalities this year, mainly either with kids or alcohol involved, so enforcement of the rules is becoming stricter. Skidoo's, similar regulations.

You can't go absolutely everywhere but there is lots of places you can go. For example the Trailway which is the old railbed from the cross newfoundland railway is useable by ATV & Skiddo pretty much from Paradise to Port aux Basques.

I'm not aware of any ATV or snowmobile clubs per se. But there are a number of internet sites/forums that might be of help:

www.nova4x4.com (Mainly 4x4's)
www.newfoundlandmotorsports.com
www.sled-headz.com

I'm seriously contemplating getting a sled for the winter. Someones gotta keep up with Steve666 in Ottawa!

Hiya - wel that's great and sound excelent.

I will have a good search around those sites for info.

So just 1 clarification, kids are not allowed to ride em, what about as a passeger with me?

Great reply and thanks.

ATV's and passengers has been a grey area. Many people have single person ATV's with a rear seat bolted to the cargo rack. The ATV has stickers on saying that it is strictly for 1 person BUT dealers will happily sell you the bolt on seat. The law says that passengers on single rider machines are a no no, but was generally unenforced. After a string of ATV accidents and fatalities recently this law is now being more rigorously enforced. As a consequence when I drive past the Yamaha dealer on the way to work I note that their single rider machines on display no longer have the additional seats fitted.

You can buy twin rider vehicles from a number of manufacturers. With these there would be no problem with taking your kid with you. They are more expensive though.

Two seat skiddos are much more widely available. I'm not sure what the minimum age is for skidoo riders. For ATV's it's 16 years.

ATV use and regulation info for NL:

http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/lands/cla/atv_faq.html
http://www.hoa.gov.nl.ca/hoa/statutes/m20.htm
http://www.gs.gov.nl.ca/gs/mr/atvsafety/

hth,
AX

Does it snow in Newfoundland?

Cross Border shopping is in order for ATV's, you should find them cheaper in the U.S..

Few weeks ago, i was doing 110km, passed by an ATV on the shoulder, with a four year old(?) kid sitting on his lap.

I hate ATV's, noisy bloody things, scare all the wildlife, many areas , no longer any Deer sitings.

Country life is a constant battle between ATV people and everyone else. I wish they still had three wheels as that ensured a short life expectancy for the users.

I agree with you on this one DBD. We rented a cottage near the end of August west of Calabogie, and the locals were zipping up and down the local paved roads as if they were a car. They are noisy, dangerous and ruin an otherwise peaceful time in the great outdoors.

The only thing you can say for them is that they're good for despooking horses; ours hear so many ATVs and guns that they're calm with pretty much any noise.

Is this why you're taking shooting lessons?

One is often tempted to have a little "hunting accident" involving an ATV operator but, no, that wasn't the reason for taking the course. We just want to be equipped to shoot a horse should the need arise.

(We didn't take shooting lessons, btw, only the safety course and exams required in order to legally keep a hand gun. There's no requirement to be able to aim the thing).

I guess it beats ballroom dancing with Jane Fonda.

Indeed. An interesting question that arose on the course was "if a horse broke a leg today, before you have a firearm, what would you do?". A grisly discussion of euthanasia with shovels and chainsaws ensued.

In our neck of the woods there are lots of subdivisions. If more than a certain percentage of residents officially object to ATVs - they are banned anywhere except on the property itself.

There are only 2 households that I've noticed that run them for fun - ie round and round annoyingly all day - both have teenage boys in residence and obviously parents who are so grateful for them being out of the house that they are prepared to deal with complaining neighbours!

We've got one which is used for snow clearance, lugging firewood etc - and for the occasional fun outing. There are a few clubs around here who have proper trails - easy and harder ones - the trails are much more entertaining than just driving up and down the ditches.