By Hector Flores
Nassau County Legislator Norma Gonsalves, a Republican from East Meadow, co-sponsored the law in an effort to protect the health, safety and welfare of residents from drivers who misuse such vehicles and dealers who do not stress the vehicles¹ possible dangers.
³ATV usage at shopping center parking lots, school yards and public parks must be controlled in order to protect the safety of our youngsters,² Gonsalves said. ³It is imperative that the purchasers and sellers of off-road vehicles are informed of the county laws restricting the usage of ATVs. Knowledge equals power, and more importantly, safety.²
The law is named for Mark Sattler, a 12-year-old from Levittown who was killed upstate in an accident involving an ATV on April 29, 2005. The law makes it illegal to operate off-road vehicles on any highway, street or sidewalk or in any shopping center parking lot or any other public area in the county, and requires the operator of an ATV to obtain written consent to ride on anyone else¹s private property. It also increases penalties for violations, and authorizes seizure and impoundment of ATVs, off-road motorcycles, motorized scooters or ³pocket bikes² that are operated illegally.
The statute also calls for truth-in-selling and truth-in-advertising requirements. Sellers of off-road vehicles must provide buyers with copies of the county and state laws regulating their use, and buyers must sign acknowledgments of receipt of those laws, which are to be retained by the sellers for five years.
Dealers must also post an announcement of county restrictions, including the following statement: ³The operation of All Terrain Vehicles, motorized scooters, off-highway motorcycles, and pocket bikes is prohibited on Nassau County property.² This advisory must be included in all print advertisements placed by ATV dealers.
³The loss of Mark [Sattler] was, and still is, devastating to his family and his community,² Gonsalves said. ³I am committed to making sure that all riders of off-road vehicles are informed of the proper usage of these vehicles, and pedestrians are protected from the dangers these vehicles pose. This law is powerful and uncompromising, and I think it will save lives.²
