This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Street-legal all-terrain vehicles would be allowed on Salt Lake County streets under a bill that earned the preliminary approval of the Utah Senate on Tuesday.
Senators voted 19-6 for HB82, which repeals an existing exemption for Salt Lake County in the state's ATV law. Under the bill, street-legal ATVs would be allowed on all Utah roads with a posted speed limit below 50 mph.
"They're legal to be driven in every county in the state except Salt Lake County," said Sen. Lincoln Filmore, R-South Jordan. "This would bring Salt Lake County up to the same standards as every other county in the state."
Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, spoke against the bill, citing safety concerns for ATV drivers on high-traffic Salt Lake City roads like 700 East, 1300 East and Highland Drive.
"I can't even imagine the type of crashes we will be seeing," Escamilla said.
Sen. David Hinkins, R-Orangeville, said street-legal ATVs are better able to navigate traffic than bicycles, which are allowed on city streets.
"If you're going to restrict ATVs, you should restrict bicycles as well," Hinkins said.
An additional vote is required in the Senate for final passage. HB82 was approved by the House last month in a 62-10 vote.
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