2015 Tennessee Code
Title 55 - Motor and Other Vehicles
Chapter 8 - Operation of Vehicles -- Rules of the Road
Part 1 - Operation of Vehicles -- Rules of the Road
§ 55-8-185 - Use of off-highway motor vehicles on highways.

TN Code § 55-8-185 (2015) What's This?

(a) No off-highway motor vehicle defined in § 55-3-101(c)(2) shall be operated or driven upon a highway unless the vehicle is registered as a medium speed vehicle pursuant to §§ 55-8-101 and 55-4-136; is operated or driven pursuant to subsection (c) or (e); or is operated or driven for the purpose of crossing a highway as follows:

(1) On a two-lane highway, only to cross the highway at an angle of approximately ninety degrees (90 degrees) to the direction of the roadway and at a place where a quick and safe crossing may be made;

(2) With respect to the crossing of a highway having more than two (2) lanes, or a highway having limited access, off-highway motor vehicles may cross these highways, but only at a place designated by the department of transportation or local government authorities with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions as a place where such motor vehicles, or specified types of such motor vehicles, may cross the highways, and these vehicles shall cross these highways only at those designated places and only in a quick and safe manner; and

(3) The department and local government authorities with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions may designate, by the erection of appropriate signs of a type approved by the department, places where these motor vehicles, or specified types of these motor vehicles, may cross any highway having more than two (2) lanes or having limited access.

(b) Off-highway motor-driven cycles defined in § 55-3-101(c)(2) may be moved, by nonmechanical means only, adjacent to a roadway, in a manner so as to not interfere with traffic upon the highway, only for the purpose of gaining access to, or returning from, areas designed for the operation of off-highway vehicles, when no other route is available. The department or local government authority may designate access routes leading to off-highway parks as suitable for the operation of off-highway vehicles, if such access routes are available to the general public only for pedestrian and off-highway motor vehicle travel.

(c) (1) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, three- or four-wheel all-terrain vehicles may be operated on:

(A) State Route 116 between Railroad Street and Beech Grove Lane within the jurisdiction of Lake City in Anderson County;

(B) Oneida & Western (O&W) Railroad Road from its intersection with Verdun Road southwestward to its terminus, within the jurisdiction of Scott County;

(C) State Route 63 between U.S. Highway 27 and Annadell Road within the jurisdiction of the Town of Huntsville in Scott County on any two (2) weekends per year during the hours of daylight, which includes the thirty (30) minutes before dawn and the thirty (30) minutes after dusk; provided, that the operation is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the local legislative body of the municipality and monitored by a local law enforcement agency;

(D) State Route 62 from its intersection with Wind Rock Road westward to its intersection with Winter Gap Road, then southeastward on Winter Gap Road to its intersection with State Route 61 (Railroad Avenue), then eastward on State Route 61 (Railroad Avenue) to its intersection with State Route 62, within the jurisdiction of Oliver Springs in Anderson County on any two (2) weekends per year during the hours of daylight, which includes the thirty (30) minutes before dawn and the thirty (30) minutes after dusk; provided, that the operation is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the local legislative body of the municipality and monitored by a local law enforcement agency; and

(E) State Route 330 from its intersection with State Route 62 westward to its intersection with State Route 61, then southwestward on West Spring Street to its intersection with Winter Gap Road, within the jurisdiction of Oliver Springs in Anderson County on any two (2) weekends per year during the hours of daylight, which includes the thirty (30) minutes before dawn and the thirty (30) minutes after dusk; provided, that the operation is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the local legislative body of the municipality and monitored by a local law enforcement agency.

(2) Drivers operating vehicles pursuant to subdivision (c)(1) shall obey the rules of the road, operate with due care, and the operator and each passenger shall wear a helmet in accordance with § 55-9-302. While on the authorized portion of the highways designated in subdivision (c)(1), the vehicles shall display tail lamps and headlights. Headlights on the vehicles shall, under normal atmospheric conditions and on a level road, produce a driving light sufficient to render clearly discernible a person two hundred feet (200') ahead.

(d) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine only of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00).

(e) In addition to subsections (a)-(d), notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an all-terrain vehicle as defined in § 55-8-101 may be operated or driven upon any unpaved streets, roads, or highways, as designated specifically for such purpose upon two-thirds (2/3) vote by the local governing body, and included within the boundaries of an adventure tourism district established pursuant to title 11, chapter 11, part 2, if such all-terrain vehicle complies with the following:

(1) The governing body of a municipality or metropolitan government may regulate in any manner, by lawfully enacted ordinance, the operation of any all-terrain vehicle crossing of a street, road or highway solely under the municipality's jurisdiction; provided, that such municipality provides written notification to the department of safety prior to the effective date of the ordinance and posts appropriate signage designating such all-terrain vehicle crossing on such street, road or highway;

(2) The governing body of any county may by lawfully enacted resolution regulate the operation of all-terrain vehicles on any street, road or highway solely under the county's jurisdiction; provided, that such county provides written notification to the department of safety prior to such resolution becoming effective and posts appropriate signage designating such street, road or highway for all-terrain vehicle use;

(3) An all-terrain vehicle is specifically restricted to only between one-half (1/2) hour after sunrise and one-half (1/2) hour before sunset, and the headlight and taillight shall be illuminated during such operation;

(4) The operator and all passengers of an all-terrain vehicle shall wear a helmet while driving or operating such vehicle on a street, road or highway;

(5) Any additional safety requirements imposed by the local governing body for all-terrain vehicle operation on streets, roads or highways in such municipality, metropolitan government or county; and

(6) No all-terrain vehicles shall be operated on any state highway or any highway that is a part of the interstate and defense highway system.

(f) Operation of the following all-terrain vehicles shall be exempt from subsection (e):

(1) All-terrain vehicles operated for agricultural purposes; and

(2) Publicly-owned and operated all-terrain vehicles that are used for management, law enforcement, emergency services and other such purposes.

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