The Legality Of Quad Bikes

Teens change fads rather quickly, and while scooters or mopeds have been common in urban areas for transportation, quad bikes are quickly becoming the new 'in' thing. Designed with a significant amount of strength and durability compared to similar-sized vehicles, quad bikes are particularly suited for off-road use. In fact, that was what they were originally intended to be for in the first place! But their increasing hipness has now made them a more and more frequent sight on roads.

But you may be unsure if they're actually legal to drive on roads or not. Furthermore, do they demand similar legal paperwork to their close cousins, the scooter and moped? What about insurance and taxes?

Well, for better or worse, the majority of these four-wheeled bikes are designed for private property usage, or usage in specialized events intended for them specifically. If you wanted to drive one on a road, it would need all the standard safety and identification tidbits that any other sort of bike would require to pass an MOT. So, you'll need headlights, indicators, lights on your rear and for braking, a speedometer, and a license plate. You also have to wear a helmet (yes, we know it doesn't look cool, and yes, you have to wear it anyway!). There's a further age restriction in driving on roads with them, that being over seventeen years of age. If you're interested in driving a quad bike in the streets, your choices are to buy a bike that contains these features by default, or to hire a company to install them onto a bare bike.

Quad bikes are expected to have the same legal documentation as any other road vehicle, such as an MOT certificate, DVLA registration, a license and insurance. The insuring part can be a little tricky if you just head out to a 'one size fits all' generalist insurance company. Many of them will be queasy to insure a quad bike because they're a relatively niche vehicle. However, there are highly focused expert insurers who specifically work to insure quad bikes, and they're likely to give you what you need with little trouble, and a fair quote to boot.

So, yes, you can drive a quad bike on any road and the UK if you follow the same laws as any other vehicle you'd be driving alongside. Keep up with the legal procedures and standard safety guidelines and you can have yourself a grand old time driving down the road with your quad.