There are different rules and regulations for the use of Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) on Township, County, Provincial and Private Roads.
| ORVs on Township Roads |
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ORVs can be driven on Tay Valley Township municipally owned roads. The ORV must meet all of the equipment requirements of Sections 7 to 15 of Ontario Regulation 316/03 - Operation of Off-Road Vehicles on Provincial Highways and the ORV is to be operated in accordance with Sections 16 to 24 of Ontario Regulation 316/03. In addition to the above, any ORV operating on a municipally owned road must also be equipped with a yellow reflective strip at the front and not have chains or studs on its tires. Enforced by the OPP, any person who contravenes the Highway Traffic Act, its Regulations or By-Law No. 2020-049 is guilty of an offence and subject to a fine for each offence. Residents are encouraged to report violations to the OPP by calling 613-267-2626 and to share any incidents or concerns with the Township. |
| ORVs on County Roads |
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The County of Lanark also permits the operation of off-road vehicles on their roads, except in Perth, Carleton Place, Almonte, or on County Roads 1, 7B, 10, 16A, 17 and 29. ORVs cannot be driven at speeds of greater than 20 kilometres per hour on roads with limits of not greater than 50 km/h, and they cannot exceed 50 km/h on roads with speed limits of greater than 50 km/h. The County has also established a curfew prohibiting ORV operation between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. on County roads. Other provisions include the necessity of having reflective strips on all four sides of the vehicles and no chains or studs on the tires. ORVs must be driven in the same direction as traffic on the same side of the road, and multiple ORVs must ride in single file. As well, they must be driven on the shoulder or, if there is no shoulder, as close to the right edge of the road surface as possible. When making a left turn, ORVs can move away from the shoulder or right edge when it is safe to do so. |
| ORVs on Provincial Roads |
| The Highway Traffic Act allows ORVs on listed provincial highways, for recreational purposes. A list of prohibited and permitted provincial highways can be found in Schedules A and B of Ontario Regulation 316/03 - Operation of Off-Road Vehicles on Provincial Highways. |
| Additional Information |