New ordinance prohibits ATVs from being used in village

A ban on driving all-terrain and utility task vehicles, as well as off-highway motorcycles, in the Village of Grafton was written into municipal ordinances last month.

The Village Board approved the ordinance that bars off-road motor vehicles on any public road and land in the village at the request of Police Chief Jeff Caponera, who said the vehicles are “not designed for standard traffic conditions” and “can pose significant safety risks.”

The vehicles were already banned in the village under state law, he said, but by adding the restriction to the village code, it allows for officers to write municipal, instead of Circuit Court, tickets for violations.

Municipal violations take less time and resources to prosecute than Circuit Court ones, he said.

Off-road driving on village land and roads isn’t a major problem, Caponera said, although its becoming more of an issue.

The ordinance change is mainly to help enforcement “down the road,” he said.

Electric bikes are not included in the ordinance, Caponera said, although he noted the rules are complex and could change.

The bikes cannot be ridden on sidewalks and must obey the rules of the road, he said.