Des Moines, Iowa — A bill under consideration in the Iowa Senate would let drivers operate all-terrain vehicles at higher speeds on some Iowa roads.
A law passed in 2022 lets ATVs travel on county roads and two-lane state highways at no more than 35 miles an hour. Senator Mike Klimesh of Spillville says ATVs can be a hazard when they’re moving at 35 miles an hour.
Klimesh says. State law also allows ATVs to travel on gravel roads if they’re being used for farming. Klimesh says ATVs driving at 35 miles an hour or less on a gravel road are at risk of being rear-ended.
Alyson DeMoss, a lobbyist for the Iowa Motorcycle Dealers Association, says the group supports letting ATVs drive up to 35 miles an hour on some roads, but not at higher speeds.
Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, says he’d like to let Iowa’s largest counties with the most traffic say no to letting ATVs move at higher speeds.
The bill cleared a Senate subcommittee this (Wednesday) morning and is eligible for a vote in the Senate Transportation Committee.
