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Quads
Explained
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Quad
Bike or ATV (All Terrain Vehicle)
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Quad
bikes are the sit-astride four wheel bikes with handlebars. The farming community
tends to call them ATVs, while the forestry calls them ATCs (All Terrain Cycles).
Leisure users tend to use the term Quad Bike. We use the term interchangeably!
ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) is the general term used to describe a vehicle designed
for off-road use. This could include quad bikes, Landrovers, Argo-Cats etc.
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Lighting
requirements
If a agricultural
quad is only used on the public road between sunrise and sunset and is not fitted
with any front or rear position lamp then under Regulation 4(3) of the Road Vehicle
Lighting Regulations 1989 as amended (RVLR) the vehicle is exempt from having
to be fitted with any lamp or reflector, and the rest of the advice on lighting
in this leaflet can be ignored. However, in this case the driver is required to
make hand signals to indicate that he is slowing down or changing direction.
Many agricultural quads would not be able to take advantage of this exemption
without their use on the road being curtailed, especially during the winter months.
If the owner decides to opt for the full complement of lighting, to allow night
time usage, then the requirements of RVLR must be complied with. Regulation 18
of RVLR requires vehicles to be fitted with lamps, reflectors, rear markings and
devices, as specified in Schedule 1 of these regulations. Table 1 of this schedule
lists the types of lamp with which motor vehicles with three or more wheels are
required to be fitted, and specifies the exceptions to the requirement for each
lamp type. These exceptions typically refer to the vehicle type, maximum speed
and ‘first used’ date, but sometimes refers to the weight or dimensions of the
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Lighting
on non-agricultural ("leisure") quads
For a quadricycle or quad bike registered since July 2003, and registered as a
standard private vehicle (i.e. not registered as an agricultural vehicle), the
lighting requirements are slightly different. Since July 2003, new quads that
are intended for road use have been required to comply with European regulations
and must be inspected before registration. These are slightly different from the
regulations mentioned above and in general more stringent – for instance the option
of having no lights at all on the vehicle is not available.
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Number
of passengers
An agricultural quad is not permitted to carry passengers.
For leisure purposes, a quad is only allowed to carry passenger(s) if the manufacturer
has designed the vehicle to carry passengers and provided appropriate seat(s).
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