Getting roxor street legal or not!

[Bhayarock]

Since Roxor is not street legal for the obvious reasons of safety and emissions. There are folks who are getting it street legal using some workarounds like registering in different states etc. I understand that its frustrating to have a vehicle ( stamped as UTV) and not be able to use it on roads. However, I was thinking about what ramifications this street legality can have over the whole product in the future? Think of the below scenario.

Someone who made this street legal, driving at 70MPH (after a tune of course), God forbid if this vehicle gets involved in a crash (a head-on collision for instance). I have 0 doubt that the person will be dead.
PS: Don't give the example of motorcycles here, I just want to understand what is the opinion of folks for roxor only. There is no comparison between a roxor or motorcycle and the fact is that a human can even be struck with lightning and still die; so don't draw those parallels between life and death. Lets, talk about safety and responsibility of the drivers who are making these things street legal.

1) Are the seat belts good enough to restrain a human body going at 70MPH?
2) Are the seats going to hold up at 70 MPH collusion? Even if the person doesn't fly out, the roxor doesn't have proper crumple zones which means more brutality?
3) The first casualty being the driver and the co-passengers what about the press taking note of something where a thing was made street legal when it is not supposed to be made?
4) I think the second casualty would be Mahindra where they might be slapped with lawsuits and bad press.
5) If such incidents happen I am pretty sure the folks on liberal side would push for stronger laws to prevent street legality, which means more laws and in turn, it can be bad for overall UTV community?
6) What about insurance companies? Will they compensate the victims or it will be a bureaucratic mess?

Share your thoughts and opinion, how a situation like above can be avoided etc. What are the folks doing for safety besides just adding wipers and turn signals. Not drinking and driving helps for instance!

 

[44Bogger]

Since Roxor is not street legal for the obvious reasons of safety and emissions. There are folks who are getting it street legal using some workarounds like registering in different states etc. I understand that its frustrating to have a vehicle ( stamped as UTV) and not be able to use it on roads. However, I was thinking about what ramifications this street legality can have over the whole product in the future? Think of the below scenario.

Someone who made this street legal, driving at 70MPH (after a tune of course), God forbid if this vehicle gets involved in a crash (a head-on collision for instance). I have 0 doubt that the person will be dead.
PS: Don't give the example of motorcycles here, I just want to understand what is the opinion of folks for roxor only. There is no comparison between a roxor or motorcycle and the fact is that a human can even be struck with lightning and still die; so don't draw those parallels between life and death. Lets, talk about safety and responsibility of the drivers who are making these things street legal.

1) Are the seat belts good enough to restrain a human body going at 70MPH?
2) Are the seats going to hold up at 70 MPH collusion? Even if the person doesn't fly out, the roxor doesn't have proper crumple zones which means more brutality?
3) The first casualty being the driver and the co-passengers what about the press taking note of something where a thing was made street legal when it is not supposed to be made?
4) I think the second casualty would be Mahindra where they might be slapped with lawsuits and bad press.
5) If such incidents happen I am pretty sure the folks on liberal side would push for stronger laws to prevent street legality, which means more laws and in turn, it can be bad for overall UTV community?
6) What about insurance companies? Will they compensate the victims or it will be a bureaucratic mess?

Share your thoughts and opinion, how a situation like above can be avoided etc. What are the folks doing for safety besides just adding wipers and turn signals. Not drinking and driving helps for instance!

I thank God I don’t look at life like you do.

 

[General]

Excellent topic for thought, but unlikely a common problem. Obviously a Roxor isn't nearly as safe as a modern car. Neither is anything designed 50 years ago. A new Honda Fit is safer, cheaper, more efficient, and more comfortable than a Roxor, but nobody purchased their Roxor for regular highway use. I believe the #1 safety feature of any car is the mind/attention/experience of the driver, not the vehicle's hardware. Most Roxor folks won't be going 70 mph ever (113 km/h), and only a few will routinely drive that fast on an interstate. The seat belts are standard automotive, same as any car--ok for a head-on collision (most accidents are), but I bet the frame is too stiff to provide an ideal front-impact crumple zone, compared to modern cars, and the body adds no additional flex. Obviously side-impact outcomes would be gruesome. Mahindra has loudly insisted "off-road use only" from Day 1, and I'm sure their lawyers are prepared to win any lawsuit against them in this category. Didn't you see the dozen safety stickers on it when you bought it? Insurance companies might try to deny paying for an on-road claim, but that depends on how you insured it--as long as you entered your vehicle information, registration, and usage information correctly, and if they agreed to cover on-road use (some off-road vehicle policies do not cover on-road use), then I imagine they'd have to cover the claim. The progressives have taken over the federal DOT and won't issue a street-legal title for these vehicles, but on-road operation is governed by the states (not feds), and many states (mostly western/rural) have the practical sense to allow them limited use on roads. If the driver is careful to avoid driving at high speeds + tired/alcohol + dark/night + rain/snow + distractions + new route, most will be ok.

 

[RoxorYooper]

Michigan just made utv’s Street legal once again. One of the stipulations added to the bill at the very end was for the State Police to do a two year study on crashes involving these vehicles. I will use reason and will use mine for back roads and county roads limited to 45mpg. I don’t want to be part of the statistic that helps take this privilege away again.

 

[BayouLady]

Just me-

We need a street legal Roxor because of the terrain and lay out of the mountain trails where we like to ride. For example, you cannot complete the Alpine Loop without driving on a state road for about 4 or 5 miles. We don’t want to have the hassle of loading/unloading a utv on a trailer, and having someone pick us up and take us back to the trailer.

There are many trails where a short ride on a state road is required to enter or leave a trail. Right now we made our Polaris Gen4 street legal, licensed, etc for those reasons. We want to do the same with the Roxor.

It would be very nice to use the Roxor on back country roads around our house as well. (Can’t with the Gen4- Louisiana does not recognize UTV’s as street legal.)

 

[Campyman]

I've put 300 miles on mine. I don't have doors yet. When I do I'm sure I'd be comfortable taking it on the freeway, but there's no way I'd take it above 60. The roxor is a slower vehicle that will go anywhere. If you want something faster buy a plastic Heep

 

[Joe1877]

I want to and hopefully I can. The main reason being I don't want to tow the Roxor literally 1 to 5 miles to get to the forest lands and then try and find a wide spot to park the pickup. Plus the Roxor will be a great vehicle to go the shooting range, fishing and about every other out door activity.

 

[TacoJon]

I would say the Roxor is not the vehicle for you. Maybe a Volvo?

 

[Joe1877]

?

 

[Bhayarock]

I would say the Roxor is not the vehicle for you. Maybe a Volvo?

Jeez!

 

[i303]

I agree with others saying you put too much thought into this.

Yes the seatbelts are as of any common seatbelt found in a typical passenger vehicle.

It’s as safe as any other OLDER pre airbag Jeep seen on the road

Laws of physics may be on your side. So a 3500 lbs vehicle vs a ... I’ve been in a head on with a heavier vehicle. Heavy wins. And Volvo’s don’t get the MPG as some other models partly because they have reinforced areas and weight means poorer fuel mileage.

And you bring up 70 MPH head on. That’s a rare crash. And if the other vehicle is going 60 that’s a 130 MPH force. What vehicle is meant to take that?

Insurance companies want your business. Someone will insure it. They insure ALL kinds of vehicles. Including off road vehicles. I love how many people comment about about what they don’t insure yet no one works for an insurance company? All right for road vehicles have a risk to damage and injure doesn’t matter where it’s operated. Ever been to Glamis? Yep. People get hurt there too. Insurance not required for off road vehicles yet. And don’t mentiIon “under writer”. If you are not in the business of insurance don’t assume what they will or won’t do. Shitty drivers with long bad driving history can get insurance.

In AZ any UTV over 1800 lbs will pay full reg fee. As in any on road vehicle.

Will a Roxor be involved in a MVA? Yes. Eventually. Look up how many RZR and X3 have been crashed on pavement. Many states allow use of UTV on the road.

So how much more safe was my 86 CJ7 over a Roxor? With older components and a swapped in Chev 350. Eventually I got a roll cage. The Roxor comes with it.

If absolute safety is your number one concern, don’t go off road at all. Or boating. Or swimming.

I will say, having had a RZR that the Roxor is way more controllable on the road than any other UTV made. It’s no speed demond either. It’s not going to pop wheelies in any gear. It will probably handle a front and side impact better than the average car on the road simply because it’s construction. It will likely do more damage to a typical current vehicle on the road.

Ever wonder why school bus construction hasn’t changed much in 30 years? Or have seat belts?

I’ve seen this and other hand wringing comments made not only about Roxor but about everything thing else. So look again where higher rate of injury a d death occurs involving vehicles. Motorcycles, ATV, water crafts, boats, dune buggies and see where a Roxor might fit in? It’s encased not only with a ROPS but some pretty thick gauge sheet metal and a box steel frame. It won’t give as many lighter vehicles mitigate front end impact with crumple areas and air bags. Air bags cane about because of idiots not wearing seat belts. You can be in a Volvo yet be killed if you got T boned by a F350 because you didn’t scrape the ice off the windows and didn’t see it coming. I can say, my Roxor won’t have that problem with of an obstructed side window.

Or how many vehicles crash because they don’t know how to tow a trailer? It’s not like we are having 100,000 Roxor on the road any time soon. For the few of us that can it’s not like it’s our only vehicle and it goes where there’s less other traffic. I don’t drink (or canabis therapy at all) and drive. My hands are too busy to text and drive. I’m far less distracted driving a open top vehicle. It won’t spin donuts on pavement like a modified Honda with the annoying fartxhaust. I have a clean driving record. Yet none of this guarantees I won’t be involved in a MVA. In other words i don’t get tunnel vision and paint on road Roxor vehicle use with a broad brush.

And finally a F150 is safer vehicle on the road than a Volvo.

 

[Campyman]

I agree with others saying you put too much thought into this.

Yes the seatbelts are as of any common seatbelt found in a typical passenger vehicle.

It’s as safe as any other OLDER pre airbag Jeep seen on the road

Laws of physics may be on your side. So a 3500 lbs vehicle vs a ... I’ve been in a head on with a heavier vehicle. Heavy wins. And Volvo’s don’t get the MPG as some other models partly because they have reinforced areas and weight means poorer fuel mileage.

And you bring up 70 MPH head on. That’s a rare crash. And if the other vehicle is going 60 that’s a 130 MPH force. What vehicle is meant to take that?

Insurance companies want your business. Someone will insure it. They insure ALL kinds of vehicles. Including off road vehicles. I love how many people comment about about what they don’t insure yet no one works for an insurance company? All right for road vehicles have a risk to damage and injure doesn’t matter where it’s operated. Ever been to Glamis? Yep. People get hurt there too. Insurance not required for off road vehicles yet. And don’t mentiIon “under writer”. If you are not in the business of insurance don’t assume what they will or won’t do. Shitty drivers with long bad driving history can get insurance.

In AZ any UTV over 1800 lbs will pay full reg fee. As in any on road vehicle.

Will a Roxor be involved in a MVA? Yes. Eventually. Look up how many RZR and X3 have been crashed on pavement. Many states allow use of UTV on the road.

So how much more safe was my 86 CJ7 over a Roxor? With older components and a swapped in Chev 350. Eventually I got a roll cage. The Roxor comes with it.

If absolute safety is your number one concern, don’t go off road at all. Or boating. Or swimming.

I will say, having had a RZR that the Roxor is way more controllable on the road than any other UTV made. It’s no speed demond either. It’s not going to pop wheelies in any gear. It will probably handle a front and side impact better than the average car on the road simply because it’s construction. It will likely do more damage to a typical current vehicle on the road.

Ever wonder why school bus construction hasn’t changed much in 30 years? Or have seat belts?

I’ve seen this and other hand wringing comments made not only about Roxor but about everything thing else. So look again where higher rate of injury a d death occurs involving vehicles. Motorcycles, ATV, water crafts, boats, dune buggies and see where a Roxor might fit in? It’s encased not only with a ROPS but some pretty thick gauge sheet metal and a box steel frame. It won’t give as many lighter vehicles mitigate front end impact with crumple areas and air bags. Air bags cane about because of idiots not wearing seat belts. You can be in a Volvo yet be killed if you got T boned by a F350 because you didn’t scrape the ice off the windows and didn’t see it coming. I can say, my Roxor won’t have that problem with of an obstructed side window.

Or how many vehicles crash because they don’t know how to tow a trailer? It’s not like we are having 100,000 Roxor on the road any time soon. For the few of us that can it’s not like it’s our only vehicle and it goes where there’s less other traffic. I don’t drink (or canabis therapy at all) and drive. My hands are too busy to text and drive. I’m far less distracted driving a open top vehicle. It won’t spin donuts on pavement like a modified Honda with the annoying fartxhaust. I have a clean driving record. Yet none of this guarantees I won’t be involved in a MVA. In other words i don’t get tunnel vision and paint on road Roxor vehicle use with a broad brush.

And finally a F150 is safer vehicle on the road than a Volvo.

Wow get on your soap box much

 

[i303]

Wow get on your soap box much

All depends. Are people basing their concerns on what if or basing it on experience and training?

 

[jrobz23]

Safety is a relative term. Your meaning is not the same as others as your defnition will certainly not include some use cases of other people's meaning. IMO, the vehicle is much safer than some new vehicles currently on the road, and MANY that can legally be driven on said roads. This is not deflection, this is fact under my meaning of safety. Hit a deer or elk at 70 MPH in #CrumpleZoneCar and lemme know how that goes. I'll keep my frame rails, TYVM.

Also, I never want to live in bubble-wrap safety-fascism-fantasy serfdom. Freedom from harm will never guaranty safety, so you can nix that logical fallacy right here.

Just heed the warning: Don't do anything stupid (drugs, drink and drive, drive like an ass etc)

 

[Woodsman74881]

It’s definitely more safe than my can-am spider.

 

[Bobby]

Tru Dat jrobz23. Well stated.

Out.

 

[Cshama]

Your premise is faulty because if a roxor crashes no one will know. No one will care. Just an old jeep. Big deal.

I know that for a fact because I crashed my Ariel atom on the street and no one cared. Not the cops, not the insurance companies, not the press. And the Roxor is 100 times less noticeable.

 

[meyerld]

OK, I have a different spin on this question all together. After spending all that money to get it registered in South Dakota, if a cop in another state pulls us over cant they still cite us because driving a UTV on the road in that State is illegal?

 

[Cshama]

Thats a big if. A cop has to have a reason to pull you over. He has to know the roxor isn't just an old jeep. Which is impossible, because it is just an old jeep.

As for spending all that money- the total cost to me was about $100. So not such a big investment. I guess you can spend $500 or just pick up the phone and make a couple of calls.

What could happen is that you somehow break the law when driving (not for speeding )and get pulled over. In my state you are not allowed to drive on out of state plates for more then 30 days. But in NYC a large number of cars are on out of state plates. I don't feel the roxor is so offensive a car that anyone is really going to care anyway. But lets say that does happen, maybe you get a ticket. Maybe they want to see a windshield? My experience is that cops aren't really that up on stuff like that.

In any case what is the absolute worst that can happen? A ticket. Youre not going to jail and morally I don't think you are wrong either. You are not hurting anyone. And driving the roxor will be far safe then riding my motorbike. I've paid sales tax to NY. And I am paying a registration to SD. I would pay it to NY if they wanted it too.

Anyway I think you are worrying to much. Its a non issue especially with all those weird 3 wheel contraptions running around. It's just not a law enforcement priority. Rightly so.

 

[MaineRox]

Thats a big if. A cop has to have a reason to pull you over. He has to know the roxor isn't just an old jeep. Which is impossible, because it is just an old jeep.

At least up here, I know several officers who are very Jeep literate. Unless a Roxor has replaced its Mahindra markings and make a grill change, I wouldn't want to be driving past an officer. Very likely to get noticed and in many sleepy Maine towns they're just looking for somthing to do. Maine is so steadfast in refusing ATVs on the road it wouldn't be pretty. That's why I am hesitant to use Street Legal.