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The Senate will consider a bill allowing "street legal" all-terrain vehicles to legally travel on such busy highways as U.S. 89, U.S. 40 and U.S. 6 — with permission to zip along at the full 65 mph speed limit.

Despite concerns from the Utah Highway Patrol, the Senate Transportation Committee on Monday voted 4-0 to send SB258 to the full Senate.

The bill would also allow street-legal ATVs on all city and county roads outside of Salt Lake County, except interstate freeways.

Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, sponsor of the bill, said that in recent years cities and counties could opt to allow ATVs on their roads. He said it has created a confusing patchwork of where they are allowed and banned.

"What we are saying here basically is you are all in," except in Salt Lake County, he said.

The bill also eliminates what had been a 45 mph speed limit for street-legal ATVs on roads. Under the bill, as long as they have tires approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation, they can travel up to the posted speed limit — which is 65 mph on busier highways.

The bill also removes what has been a ban on ATVs on "limited-access highways," or busy highways akin to freeways. "Highway 89 is an example of that," Jenkins said.

Utah Highway Patrol Capt. Kirk Middaugh said his agency is concerned that ATVs are unlike normal passenger vehicles "that are extensively tested in a proving grounds, and crash tested" to ensure they meet federal highway safety standards.

"ATVs are primarily designed for off-highway use," raising questions of safety in high-speed crashes, he said.

"With increasing speed and an ever-expanding interface with the regular motoring public, someday in the future we will return to you with statistics that show the consequences."

Jenkins isn't buying into the concerns.

"Everybody keeps crying the sky is falling. But we just don't see that. The sky is not falling." He said extra access for ATVs in recent years "has worked quite well and there have been very few issues."

Weber County Sheriff Lt. Brandon Toll said no ATV accidents have occurred on streets in his county, and he endorsed the bill.

Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, R-Vernal, said "It will be one that we will watch closely. And if we have to, we'll have to make some changes" in the future.