Certain off-road vehicles can now be legally driven on county roads in unincorporated Monroe County.
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance last week expanding where utility task vehicles can operate on county roads.
To qualify, a UTV must have at least four wheels, be capable of reaching at least 35 miles per hour and be insured. Vehicles also must have seat belts for all passengers, a roll cage, headlights, a brake light, turn signals, mirrors and a traditional steering wheel.
“This is an expansion of what can be used on county roads,” County Attorney Jeff Cockerill said. “If you are allowed to drive this vehicle on a county road today, this does not change that.”
All-terrain vehicles, three-wheelers and golf carts are still prohibited on county roads.
UTVs cannot be driven on state highways, including State Roads 45 and 46 and Interstate 69.
The ordinance also prohibits UTVs from driving on higher-traffic county roads, such as Old State Road 37, Curry Pike and Fairfax Road. Cockerill said county staff has created a GIS map identifying restricted roads that will be posted on the county website.
Cockerill said this ordinance has been in the works on-and-off, but it gained momentum following winter.
“When we had the gigantic snowstorm last year, individuals were wanting to use these vehicles to help out their neighbors to plow their drives and do things like that,” Cockerill said. “They were running into resistance from law enforcement.”
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, nearly all Indiana counties allow off-road vehicles on certain public roads.
Commissioners said they worked with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Highway Department, legal staff and GIS staff to develop the ordinance.
"As technology gets safer, communities have to sort of ease up on some regulations as well," Madeira said.
Ordinance violations will be handled by existing state law. Commissioners removed proposed local penalties, deciding to avoid county fines or permit fees.
“It should not be an excuse to bill taxpayers out of more money,” Commissioner Julie Thomas said. “It's ridiculous. It doesn't cost us anything to do this.”
Following the vote, the Ellettsville Police Department posted on social media to remind residents that the new county ordinance "DOES NOT authorize the operation of off-road vehicles, UTVs, ATVs or golf carts on Town of Ellettsville roadways" and that "golf carts and off-road vehicles remain prohibited on all Town of Ellettsville streets" unless authorized by a separate town ordinance.
The department said the county ordinance does not supersede the town's traffic regulations and encouraged residents to verify whether a road is under town or county jurisdiction before operating a UTV.
Officials said the list of restricted roads is not permanent and could change as the county gains experience with the new ordinance.
"If the sheriff's department or highway sees any issues or concerns and we need to change this map,” Thomas said, “just let us know and we can easily make those accommodations if something comes up that's a safety issue.”
