Jeep plunges 450 feet off Colorado mountainside
- Thread starter CrazyDrei
- Start date
gatorgrizz27
Well-known member
I’m not typically in favor of government regulation, and would rather them just put a sign up making the risks clear (if it’s not already), but people continue to get stupider it seems.
Colorado already has an OHV registration program, as do may states. The permit only costs $25, so it’s not a burdensome tax, and it goes to maintaining trails. They could simply add different tiers to the OHV passes, green for beginner, yellow for intermediate, and red for advanced.
Privately accredited companies could be in charge of administering test courses or offering training to drivers for a fee, as they do for motorcycle licensing.
Trails would be rated based on difficulty and consequences, and a P&W agent could simply issue citations to vehicles without the proper colored stickers. The revenue from that should pay for some extra officers.
NevadaLover
Forking Icehole
I have to say... that is the stupidest idea I have read in some time! You say "I’m not typically in favor of government regulation", then you go on to spout an idea that regulates the hell out of off-roading AND brings "privately accredited companies" into the mix????.....
Nope, can't even give the slightest nod of agreeance to such an off the wall idea, that's as ignorant as these people who say "any activity involving danger should require a bond to insure them" !
If it bothers you to know that people endanger themselves for the fun or thrill or whatever other reason then you need to stop using the internet, people have lives and choose to live outside the box and MAYBE put that life at "risk", doesn't make them evil or in need of government oversight, it makes them human!
If by chance they make a mistake that costs them their life well that is just Darwin being proven correct!
Privately accredited companies......?
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shade
Well-known member
Basically, an off-road licensing system! I hope it doesn't come to that! At most, I'd prefer a permitting system be implemented, like other high use areas!
Oh, and your daddy works in a jelly bean factory!
Please let me know if I haven't met the required ratio of exclamation marks to insults.
billiebob
Well-known member
wow, how, who will determine those tiers. if you give me a yellow badge, and i roll on a yellow trail, will you be liable?
But
I agree to rating trails like ski hills do and mountaineers do.... Green, Blue, Black Diamond.
Buliwyf
Viking with a Hammer
Just grab a back hoe, and make the trail head at the bottom of the mountain harder to pass, than the actual trail is. If you can make it to the trail, then you're GTG. If you need to be under 8'6", then put up a limbo pole at the entrance.
Been done on private mountain bike parks for years. A simple sign says ''if you skip this section, you don't belong on this trail''.
Permits and trail ratings just make the weak ego people go straight to the ''red'' trail.
Been done on private mountain bike parks for years. A simple sign says ''if you skip this section, you don't belong on this trail''.
Permits and trail ratings just make the weak ego people go straight to the ''red'' trail.
gatorgrizz27
Well-known member
I personally don’t care if others want to endanger themselves, I do it frequently by many definitions, but it becomes a problem when it results in areas being shut down to everyone due to ignorance/abuse. That’s all the government is going to do, say “this is a problem area, close it off.” They’ve been trying to do the same thing in Pismo, one of the only places left in California where you can drive on the beach.
Most people that live out west are more competent than in other areas, but as morons flee California and New York and move to Colorado, Utah, etc, combined with an explosion in the popularity of “overlanding” these issues are going to become more and more common.
Given the option of buying a $25 pass from an already existing program that funds trail maintenance, or simply not having off road areas available, I’d choose the former. Maybe I’m biased, as I’m used to buying annual hunting (requires taking a class) and fishing licenses, and see how they benefit those activities.
If you’ve taken a concealed carry, SCUBA, motorcycle safety class, or gotten a vehicle safety/smog inspection (I have), you’ve used a privately accredited company. No, the companies would not be liable for accidents, as they aren’t in any other area. I’m not sure how the tiers would be divided, but a couple of guys could figure it out over a lunch. The top/advanced tier wouldn’t have to be all that high, as once you’ve driven a decent amount you know what your’re capable of and can make reasonable decisions.
I’m not in favor of a permit system, as it doesn’t do anything to increase competency, and tends to benefit those who plan trips years out rather than locals. If you live there and don’t draw a permit, you can’t use the trail you’ve driven for the last 30 years? It would make sense in a pressure/erosion situation, but that doesn’t seem to be the issue here.
The main benefit of my suggestion wouldn’t be the tiers, it would be that a small obstacle generally cuts down on the riff-raff significantly. It’s not ideal, but something is inevitable as people continue to go out and dump trash, tear stuff up, etc.
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gatorgrizz27
Well-known member
That’s not a bad idea at all, but I get the idea that a lot of these areas are more or less public/forest roads, not dedicated 4x4 trails. I can assume that would also limit the ability to do any maintenance on it, and it would degrade into a hardcore route.
I agree with you. At the same time if someone finds themselves inadvertently in a situation that is more difficult than they anticipated the technology could help. I am adamant about using a compass and paper maps, but that doesnt mean I dont appreciate GPS as well.
On road licensing is a pretty close to total failure. The number of people baffled by a traffic circle is amazing. You want to add another level start with improved driver training on road. A real drivers test that involves driving. Knowledge and a little common sense. Maybe mandatory failure rates and test only in English.
shade
Well-known member
All good points. These use issues will continue to grow, just as you said. The old ways of full access will eventually be changed, and the easiest way to stop the destruction is closure. There's even significant support for regulation by closure, so it's not hard to see how we can lose access if better management solutions aren't developed.
I suggested a permit system to simply address the number of people on a route, while also limiting access so someone couldn't make a snap decision to take a route beyond their abilities. I'd prefer a tiered pass scheme as you suggested, but I doubt something like that would gain enough private and government support. Not enough solidarity on the private side, and too much trouble for the government to bother with it. If they reserved a percentage for first-come, first-served issuance, there would still be a way to gain impromptu access. With permits, the total number of morons on a trail should be more manageable, and there's a smaller government footprint for the program. I'm not saying it's the best way forward, but it's one of the easiest, which makes it a simple program to manage.
A gate for maintenance access on a diversion would take care of that.
