Can I drive the Gator on the road.

[jinman]

Jim, I know there's a considerable difference between ATVs and UTVs, but I'm not so sure the law considers them differently.

Bird and Dennis, I think the dividing factor is the "use" of the vehicle. Here are the requirements for SMVs. Dennis, I don't think any standard Kawasaki Mule is going to have a speed of 50 mph unless it has been modified. I think out here if I am driving on a county road or even a highway access road as described below, I will not be ticketed, but certainly if I were driving through a residential neighborhood in town I would expect to be challenged. All of this may be academic and have no bearing on rules and regualtions is Wisconsin. I'm sure their laws have their own levels of obfuscation.:laughing:

SLOW MOVING VEHICLES TRC 547.703
Slow Moving Vehicle Emblem
(a) Slow-moving vehicle is defined as a motor vehicle designed to operate at a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour or less; or a vehicle, implement of husbandry, or machinery, including road construction machinery, that is towed by: an animal; or a motor vehicle designed to operate at a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour or less.
(b) Slow-moving-vehicle emblem means a triangular emblem that conforms to standards and specifications adopted by the director under Section 547.104 relating to color, size, and mounting position of a slow-moving-vehicle emblem.
(c) The slow moving vehicle emblem must be mounted (base down) from 3 to 5 feet above the surface of the road. It must be of a clean reflective surface.
Right of Way
(a) Operators of vehicles driving more slowly than the normal speed of other vehicles must drive in the right hand lane or as close as practicable to the right hand edge of the roadway. Operators moving in the opposite direction shall move to the right and yield at least one-half of the roadway to the other vehicle.
Definition
(a) Implement of husbandry means a vehicle, other than a passenger car or truck, that is designed and adapted for use as a farm implement, machinery, or tool for tilling the soil.

 

[Bird]

Jim,
I have a friend that has a Mule, it will do 50mph, but the low speed design to me, is they are generally designed for off road use.

What struck me as funny in Birds post was (4) the officer holds a driver's license, as defined by Section 521.001;

Most officers I worked with had a DL

Yeah, Dennis, don't you love the way laws are written?:laughing: I think my brother's Mule would only do abou 25 mph but it did get driven on Farm-to-Market roads a time or two, but roads with almost no traffic.

 

[Cougar300]

Thanks for all the replies.

There is more to this than I thought.
Yeah the way laws are written, could just depend on who pulls you over whether you get a ticket or not.

Maybe I'll put a sign on it, throw a bale of straw in the box and go for a ride.
Or, maybe I'll just walk, I could use the exercise anyway.

 

[Wombat125]

You could pack up and move to Wyoming. We can title and plate just about anything here. I just plated a 2001 Honda XR200R. They wouldn't even blink at a Gator provided you had a horn, turn signals, and brake lights.

 

[Chuck52]

Just yesterday I saw a Gator toddling along down the shoulder of US 40 right near I 70. I guess he might have been farm related, as I think he was headed to a big horse arena about there. I don't think he had a slow vehicle sign or anything. I doubt he'd get grief from the local LEOs mainly because the shoulder there is as wide as a lane. I suspect he'd be OK on the side roads near here if he did have the proper sign because we have lots of ag machinery on these roads. At least you'd be able to pass him if there was a straight stretch. Some of the combines or whatever that use these roads use the entire road and the on-coming traffic has to hit the shoulder (as if there was one) to let them get by. I have driven most of the way into the ditch to let some get by. They wave nice though.

Chuck

 

[Cougar300]

Wyoming? That's tempting.

You could pack up and move to Wyoming. We can title and plate just about anything here. I just plated a 2001 Honda XR200R. They wouldn't even blink at a Gator provided you had a horn, turn signals, and brake lights.

 

[jonyyuma]

Wow, deep and wide...Better watch your rear, even with a slow-symbol on the back, and legal. I have seen several rear collisions with Properly marked equipment , even flashing wreckers and police cars...The right yahoo and then ,they would point the finger at you, and it WAS Your Fault???

 

[Western]

Jim,
It may not be a "Mule" then, I rode in it one time and it does 50mph, he was laughing and I froze my A@$ off one deer season. It was one of those little bench style 4 wheel thingys with a little tiny bed in the back.

I use my little tractor for my ATV:ashamed:

 

[jinman]

Jim,
It may not be a "Mule" then, I rode in it one time and it does 50mph, he was laughing and I froze my A@$ off one deer season.

Sounds like a Polaris Ranger, RZR, or Yamaha Rhino. The Mules and Kubota RTVs want to maintain their reputation for utility rather than suicidal vehicles.

 

[YesDeere]

A couple months back my Father got hassled by a young DNR officer. He was going between propertys to check a few things. They are farms and it is pretty rural. They sit about Two miles apart.

He didn't stop him or pull him over with lights on, just kinda caught him at a stop sign. "you can't drive that thing on the road". Well that was all the old man was gonna take. "Yes I can, Checking on my farm" as he pointed to the back where the SMV sign was. "what is that" the officer asked. Pop explained it to him nicely what it meant. Then proceeded to pull away leaving the slack jawed young officer standing there. That was That!!