MARQUETTE -- With the recent change in motorcycle helmet law in Michigan, some confusion has come up surrounding off-road vehicles.
The Department of Natural Resources is reminding ORV riders that the helmet laws for those vehicles have not changed. The no helmet law is for motorcyclists on highways in Michigan. The ORV laws have been in place since 1994 and are designed to keep riders safe.
"You want to wear a helmet because at the speed you're traveling, they don't handle like a car--you don't have bumpers, you don't have a windshield, you don't have the weight of the car," said Sgt. Pete Wright of the DNR. "You don't have any of those safety features. If you were to hit an obstruction or fly off your ORV, you would have no protection at all, so helmets are very important."
The only exception to the ORV helmet law is if your vehicle has a roll bar and you are wearing properly adjusted seat belts.
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