Unregistered quad bike on the road

[anonymous-user]

A farmer in our village uses a quad bike to move about the farm, pull a little trailer etc.

It is quite and old one and doesn't look as though it would win many prizes in any round of 'The World's best maintained quad bike' competition.

It is unregistered (no number plate, no RFL). I think it is a safe hypothesis that it has no MOT.

To access some of his fields he has to drive it along the public road.

What is the legal situation of doing that?

How about insurance if he should come a cropper, run someone over, damage something?

TIA

[Lost soul]

No insurance obviously

[Rude-boy]

Substitute Quad bike for Land Rover 90 and you will have your answers.

(Sketchy on the MOT bit though)

[Steffan]

Farmers do enjoy some relaxation of the laws. However from what you have described that does seem illegal. Quite what you do is a moot point. The local mafia will soon find out where any formal complaint comes from. If you know the local Sergeant might be worth a quite word. Up to you.

[Snowboy]

There are some very old exemptions for farmers to move between fields in agricultural machinery without needing tax, mot and (possibly) insurance.
Although it's possible the insurance angle is covered by farm insurance

I think there is a speed limit and a maximum distance involved.

I know it's a vague answer - but the farmer is probably all legal

[CrutyRammers]

Aren't there exemptions for agricultural vehicles? Most tractors aren't road registered either, doesn't mean their not allowed to use the road between fields / are not insured.

[TooMany2cvs]

CrutyRammers said:

Most tractors aren't road registered either

They are...

[balls-out]

There certainly used to be specific laws about using roads to travel between fields of a single farm.
No road tax, red diesel and 16 year olds were all permitted on public roads between fields.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

TooMany2cvs said:

CrutyRammers said:

Most tractors aren't road registered either

They are...

They're not. The ones you see are, because they are on the road. But most tractors never leave the farm and are not registered. As said, you can use a unregistered tractor for short road journeys between farms, within certain strict perameters.

[Cat]

Quad bikes such as the one described in the OP would be classed agricultural quad bikes and, if used on a road, need to be registered with the dvla as a light agricultural vehicle.

They don't require road tax or an MOT but do need insurance and should be displaying a number plate.

It can only be used on the road if travelling less than 1.5km between sites in connection with agriculture/forestry.

Cat

[shakotan]

http://www.inbrief.co.uk/agricultural-law/agricult...

[fangio]

Quadricycle or bicycle?

Cannot be both quad and bike, surely? Quad has 4 wheels, bike has 2.....