Development of Strategies for Shared Use of Roadways between ROV/ATV and Typical Highway Vehicles

All -Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are a general category of off-road vehicles that include single-rider machines with a straddle seat, handlebar, throttle, hand levers for front and/or back brakes, and a foot peddle. They are ridden or rider-active, meaning, to properly operate an ATV the rider must be able to shift his or her body weight while riding. Recreational Off-Road Vehicles (ROVs), sometimes referred to as side-by-sides or Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs), are motorized off-road vehicles designed to travel on four non-highway tires, with a steering wheel, foot control for acceleration and braking, and may have seats for one or more passengers with safety belts. Except for on the interstate, both ROVs and ATVs are legal to operate on South Dakota public roadways. The vehicles must be licensed by the state and have basic safety components such as a horn, rearview mirrors, headlights, and brake lights before they are considered road-legal. Although ROV/ATVs can legally be operated on South Dakota roadways, they are vehicles designed to traverse trails and bumpy terrains, not public roadways. Several design elements benefit off-road users however make ROV/ATVs far more dangerous when used on roadways. ROV/ATVs have a narrow wheelbase and a high center of gravity which requires the vehicle to take wider turns than a typical roadway vehicle. Also, ROV/ATVs have low-pressure tires designed for rough terrain which grip tightly on hard surfaces. These vehicle characteristics become even more problematic with larger engines and at higher speeds. Safety is not only a concern for the ROV/ATV users operating on public roads but also for the typical highway traffic. ROVs and ATVs are both recreational vehicles. Many times, ROV/ATV driver behavior does not interact well with the typical highway vehicles and the rules of public roadways. Users will often travel in slow-moving groups looking for trails, causing congestion and disrupting normal traffic flow. Thus, increasing the risk of crashes. ROV/ATV operators will also travel in the Right of Way (ROW), outside of the highway surface. Safety concerns arise with the ingress and egress of ROV/ATVs on the roadway. Concern is amplified with some operators traveling the ROW as if they were in an off-road environment. Not only is this a safety issue, but it also produces excess dust and sometimes causes damage and erosion to the ROW which must be repaired and maintained. A growing body of scientific research supports the idea that ROV/ATV use on roadways, either paved or unpaved, is more dangerous than riding off-road. Studies show that more than half of all ROV/ATV fatalities occur on public roads. Many manufacturers contain warning tags recommending off-road use only. Even so, the number of ROV/ATVs on South Dakota roads has risen in the past decade. Knowledge about the risk factors involved is limited among the ROV/ATV users and the public. The development of strategies to address the safety concerns arising from the shared use of ROV/ATVs and typical highway vehicles on South Dakota public highways will benefit everyone who travels in South Dakota. It is the first step to improving roadway safety among ROV/ATV users and the public while ensuring South Dakota roads and road ROWs are operational for all users.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $120,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  SD2023-04

• Sponsor Organizations:

  South Dakota Department of Transportation

  700 East Broadway Avenue
  Pierre, SD  United States  57501
• Managing Organizations:

  Southern Plains Transportation Center

  University of Oklahoma
  202 W Boyd St, Room 213A
  Norman, OK  United States  73019
• Project Managers:

  McDowell, Margo

• Performing Organizations:

  Western Transportation Institute

  Montana State University, Bozeman
  P.O. Box 174250
  Bozeman, MT  United States  59717-4250
• Principal Investigators:

  Villwock-Witte, Natalie

• Start Date: 20240607
• Expected Completion Date: 20250930
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: Research and Development

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: All terrain vehicles; Highway traffic; Recreational vehicles; Right of way (Land); Safety; Vehicle mix
• Geographic Terms: South Dakota
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01946548
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: South Dakota Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: SD2023-04
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 19 2025 10:41AM