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Road
Quads
Quad
on the Road
Quad bikes have always been considered to be agricultural
vehicles (although there are many that are used for leisure
on land to which the public does not have general access)
and are often registered as agricultural vehicles used for
solely for the purposes of agriculture, horticulture or
forestry. During the course of this use there may be a small
amount of road use in much the same way as a farmer uses
an agricultural tractor. |
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 If
you want to ride an agricultural quad bike (also known as an all-terrain
vehicle or ATV) it must be type approved, registered and taxed,
it can only be ridden by someone who has passed their car driving
test and holds a full driving licence and is at least 17 years
old.
The Quad Bike as a road vehicle
Before you can ride a quad bike on the road it must firstly be
type approved in line with one of the following:
• European Whole Vehicle Type Approval system (ECWVTA)
• UK National Type Approval (Small Series)
• UK Motorcycle Single Vehicle
If you want to ride your quad bike on the road, it's essential
that its construction meets the standard laid down by the Department
of Transport and EU Regulation. It must also comply with legislation
currently in force so that it meets European and UK safety and
environmental standards
Under UK law a vehicle is classified as a quad bike, if it has
four wheels and has an unladen weight of 550Kgs or more. This
means that it is classified as a Private Light Goods vehicle and
will be taxed as such and requires a full driving licence to use
it on the public highway. Quad bikes do not conform to the definition
of a 'motorcycle' and therefore cannot be taxed in the 'motorcycle'
tax class. You cannot use a motorcycle driving licence to ride
a road legal quad bike.
A road legal quad is also required to comply with the Road Traffic
Act 1988. This means that it must be built to the proper standard
required by law and conform to the following requirements:
• It must be registered with the DVLA
• It must display number plates, back and front
• It must be taxed
• It must be insured
• It must have a valid MOT certificate, if over three years
old
• It must have lights, indicators, road legal tyres, horn,
speedometer, mirrors and every other element that would allow
it to pass an MOT inspection.
N.B Quads that are registered and ridden on the road must pass
an MOT once they are three years old.
Few garages have suitable testing ramps for ATVs and MOT testers
can be inexperienced or unable to pilot an ATV safely to carry
out the necessary brake test, so it always makes sense to choose
a test station with recent experience of carrying out MOT's for
quads and where the tester has the skills and credentials to road-test
the machine.
The quad test costs £50.35 and takes 45 minutes.
Checks made include:
• Brakes
• Footrest condition
• Front number plate
• Lights, reflectors and horn
• Steering and suspension
• Two rear view mirrors
• Wheel bearings, rear wheels and tyres which must have an
E-mark for road use and at least 1.6mm of tread
• Working hazard lights; when the ignition is switched off
Quads are currently exempt from emissions testing
Safety
It is essential that you take safety precautions when riding a
quad on the road. Though they are not legal requirements, the
safety tips below are the minimum safety precautions one should
take before riding a quad on the road.
• Always wear a helmet and other protective clothing.
• Read your machine's Owners Manual and familiarise yourself
with the importance of all warning labels displayed on your ATV.
• Never ride on public roads unless your machine is a Quadricycle
that has been specifically manufactured for this purpose and complies
with the relevant type approval code for that particular model
of Quadricycle and you hold the correct type of Driving Licence
and Insurance.
• Never ride under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
• Never carry a passenger unless your machine has been specifically
designed and manufactured to do so.
• Ride an ATV that's right for your age and experience.
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