The Kent Federation of Agriculture agrees with the chief of police in Chatham-Kent when it comes to the new ATV bylaw.
Chief Gary Conn says he's pleased ATVs are banned from Chatham but feels allowing them in smaller urban areas like Blenheim, Dresden, Ridgetown, Wheatley, Tilbury and some of Wallaceburg is going to be a problem.
Vice President Harry Lawson says allowing ATVs on rural roads is asking for trouble and thinks it's going to be a liability nightmare.
"Most of the secondary roads don't have shoulders... and we have varying speeds of traffic once you get out in the countryside," he says.
Exceptions in Wallaceburg include Murray St., McNaughton Ave. and Dufferin Ave.
Lawson says ATVs are not designed to be on the road.
"You have 80 km/h roads and 40 km/h farm equipment at the maximum and wide equipment," says Lawson. "We didn't think ATVs were the safest thing to add to that mix."
He's also concerned about possible lawsuits.
"Somebody is liable to get sued and farmers have equipment left in fields and there are hazards there that an ATV'er may encounter," Lawson says. "If it's on the roadside it's going to be the municipality and if it's in the farmers field it's probably going to be the farmer."
