A proposed Oregon ATV law that would have banned children under the age of 12 from riding all-terrain vehicles on public lands in an effort to prevent severe personal injuries and deaths was tabled earlier this month and will see no further action. As previously detailed here at The Injury Blog, Senate Bill 49 would have also restricted the size of engines in ATVs ridden by people ages 12-15. An Albany Democrat-Herald story detailed how more than 200 concerned ATV riders of all ages complained about this legislation on the steps of the Capitol in Salem and how other ATV user groups have influenced another Oregon ATV bill in the legislature.

Specifically, these groups have worked with legislators and state park officials to add amendments to Senate Bill 101, which would require permits for ATV riders age 7 and older. Amendments to this Oregon ATV bill include adult supervision of riders under 16 years of age while riding on public lands and mandatory safety training and fitting of riders to ATV sizes.

In addition to Oregon, the Sooner State has also made some progress on a proposed ATV accident law. An Insurance Journal story detailed that an Oklahoma bill requiring children under 18 years of age to wear crash helmets while riding on or operating an ATV on public land was approved by a Senate committee in early April. This bill has already passed the Oklahoma House and has gone to the Senate floor for consideration.

If passed by the Senate and signed into law, this Oklahoma legislation would mandate a $25 fine for anyone who fails to comply. This proposed Oklahoma ATV law would not apply to ATV use on private property. State Senator Andrew Rice sponsored this bill in large part to the deaths of six children in Oklahoma ATV accidents last year. Rice added in the story how Oklahoma currently has no safety requirement for ATV riders besides disallowing people from operating these vehicles on paved roads. We’ll keep you updated on any developments with these proposed Oklahoma and Oregon ATV laws.