New bylaw allows off-highway vehicles on Lethbridge County roads

Lethbridge County has approved a bylaw for off-highway vehicles (OHVs) to travel on municipal roads.

The bylaw was passed five-to-two on Thursday in a special county council meeting — a change in regulation meant to remove restrictions around the farming community, making it easier for workers to get to and from their fields.

“In agriculture, it’s only a natural fit to go to and from your fields in one of those,” said Lorne Hickey, Reeve of Lethbridge County.

“The majority are probably quads or side-by-sides and are used for either irrigation purposes or sometimes if you were checking your cattle or rounding up the cattle.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The majority are probably quads or side-by-sides and are used for either irrigation purposes or sometimes if you were checking your cattle or rounding up the cattle."

The new bylaw comes with several restrictions, including:

• All vehicles must be registered and insured for use on \roads
• Drivers must not exceed 50 km/h
• Operating an OHV in hamlets is prohibited, with the exception of a waiver
• Operating an OHV 30 minutes before sunrise or 30 minutes after sunset is prohibited
• All provincial laws must be followed while operating the OHV

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Anyone breaking the speed limit or driving in unregistered/uninsured vehicles will see a $100 fine and anyone operating an OHV on municipal property, or where prohibited, will face a fine of $500.

Other offences include driving with no helmet, exceeding the number of passengers allowed and the operator being under 14 years of age.

Residents should exercise extreme caution when handling OHVs, Hickey said, as they will be driving alongside other vehicles.

“If somebody’s travelling 80 km/h on the road, there’s going to be dust, so make sure that you’re operating safely.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If somebody's travelling 80 km/h on the road, there's going to be dust, so make sure that you're operating safely."

Hickey added he is expecting to see many residents taking advantage of the new bylaw, as it’s something that has been requested for quite some time.

“I’ll bet almost every farm has one, we have a population of 10,000 so there could be a few thousand of them for sure,” he said.