Understanding Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs)

An ORV is a motor-driven, off-road recreational vehicle capable of cross-country travel without benefit of a road or trail. It may travel on land, snow, ice, marsh, swampland, or other natural terrain.

• ORVs are multi-track or multi-wheel drive vehicles that include, but are not limited to:
  • All-terrain vehicles (ATVs)
  • Motorcycles or related 2-wheel, 3-wheel, or 4-wheel vehicles
  • Amphibious machines
  • Ground-effect air-cushion vehicles such as hovercrafts
  • Other means of transportation deriving power from a source other than muscle or wind

• ORVs do not include:
  • Registered snowmobiles
  • Farm vehicles used for farming
  • Vehicles used for military, fire, emergency, or law enforcement purposes
  • Vehicles owned and operated by a utility company or an oil or gas company when performing maintenance on its facilities or on property over which it has an easement
  • Construction or logging vehicles used in performance of their common function
  • Registered aircraft

The general information in this manual applies to all types of ORVs. Much of the specific information, however, applies primarily to ATVs and motorcycles.

Workhorse and Recreational Vehicle

Today’s ORVs are built for both work and play.

• Work-related uses include ranching, farming, construction, oil production, land management—or any activity that involves a large land area with few roads. ORVs also are used in law enforcement, military, and rescue operations.
• Recreational uses include trail riding; transporting items, such as hauling gear to a fishing spot, campsite, or hunting grounds; and hauling firewood from the backwoods to the homestead.

Know Your ORV

• Because different types of ORVs have their own handling characteristics, it’s important to study your owner’s manual and learn how to operate your particular vehicle. For example, most ORVs have front and rear brakes, but some have linked brakes. You need to know the correct braking techniques for your vehicle.
• ORVs also use different transmissions, shifting mechanisms, throttle mechanisms, starting mechanisms, cooling systems, and axle designs.
• Controls and their locations differ from one model to another. Familiarize yourself with the controls on your vehicle, and learn to find each control without looking at it. An emergency situation on the trail is not a good time to discover you don’t know where a control is located.