Helmet Law in California for Side X Sides

UTV Weekly | April 24, 2013

As owners of Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs) get ready to hit many popular OHV riding areas in California, it is important to remember that helmets are required to be worn by the operators and passengers when traveling on public roads, trails, and areas designated for such use.

Effective January 1, 2013, the California Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 38601 requires all passengers and the operator to wear a safety helmet while operating an ROV which are also known as Side by Sides, Recreational Utility Vehicles, or Utility Terrain Vehicles.

Link to CA OHMVR ROV Helmet Law Information

Quiet Warrior Racing (QWR) believes it is important for ROV owners to share this information with other ROV operators particularly in rural areas where regulations passed in Sacramento don’t often get shared effectively with users not associated with clubs or organizations.

QWR wants to commend federal and state law enforcement personnel and resource protection officers for working hard to help educate ROV owners about this new safety regulation.

Signing and public outreach are important elements of effective law enforcement. Those tools will most certainly play a critical role to inform the user community as this new safety regulation gets implemented on public lands in California.