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Lake Havasu sergeant outlines rules for side-by-side helmets, restraints, plates and lights
Summary
Sergeant Jerry Burns summarized Arizona requirements for operating side-by-side off-highway vehicles in Lake Havasu City: helmets for riders under 18, child restraints on roadways, registration differences between off-road and on-road plates, and prohibitions on strobing/chase or certain decorative lights on public roads.
Sergeant Jerry Burns of Lake Havasu City outlined state and local rules for operating side-by-side off-highway vehicles, saying children under 18 must wear helmets and that child restraint devices are required when the vehicle is operated on a roadway.
The guidance, presented as part of a Traffic Tip Tuesday message, is intended to clarify when side-by-sides may be driven on streets and what equipment is required for safety and legal compliance. "They are required to wear a helmet. Under Arizona law, anybody under the age of 18 in an all terrain vehicle, motorcycle or any such type vehicle are required to wear a helmet," Burns said.
Burns summarized registration options and limits. He said owners can register vehicles for off-road use with an "RV" recreational vehicle plate that allows operation off the roadway. Vehicles built and registered for on-road use carry plates resembling standard motorcycle or vehicle plates and may be driven on streets where that vehicle class is allowed. Burns noted that highway operation depends on vehicle construction and equipment, for example whether the vehicle has Department of Transportation tires.
On incidental roadway crossings, Burns said the RV plate covers limited use such as crossing a road to reach desert riding areas when the crossing is a short distance: "The RV plate covers incidental use. So if you have to cross a roadway somewhere or you're a block or 2 away from the desert entrance, then you would be allowed to do so." He added that the RV plate does not authorize extended street trips from a commercial area into the desert, saying, "But you can't drive from the center of town, go from the grocery store out to the desert. So please make sure that you have the appropriate plate before you operate inside Lake Havasu City."
Burns also addressed lighting. He said chase lights and other flashing or strobing lights are not permitted on the roadway: "Chase lights are not allowed to be operated on the roadway because they are flashing or strobing, and you cannot have flashing or strobing lights while you're operating on the roadway." Decorative lighting such as Christmas lights can be illegal if they include colors reserved for emergency vehicles or if they interfere with required vehicle lights, he said.
The message closed with an offer to answer questions: "If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office if you have any questions about what we covered today. As always, stay safe out there," Burns said.
This advisory does not state new local ordinances; it summarizes existing Arizona legal requirements and local enforcement guidance as presented by the sergeant.
