ATV Riders In Manchester Warned To Follow Law While Riding

MANCHESTER, NJ — If the warmer weather anticipated in the coming days has you thinking about riding your all-terrain vehicles in the Manchester area, be sure you are following the laws: Manchester Township police are cracking down after receiving a large number of complaints about ATV riders.

The police department posted a warning about the crackdown in late January after multiple complaints from residents in the Pine Lake Park and Roosevelt City sections of the township. But cold, nasty weather curtailed the riders for a while.

The weather forecast for Feb. 10-11 is for temperatures in the low 50s and mostly clear skies, which often draws people outside to enjoy the break in the winter doldrums.

"We understand riding is fun and has been a way of life for many in this area for years," police said in a notice on the department's Facebook page. "Yet, it must be done legally and without disturbing the peace or creating a public safety issue."

Police said they received complaints that included:

• Speeding
• Reckless Driving
• Excessive Muffler Noise
• Unregistered Vehicles on Township Roads
• Riding on Private Land without Permission
• Riding on Prohibited State and County Property

The police department will be conducting details over the coming weeks and will be strictly enforcing Manchester ordinances and state laws that pertain to ATVs, police said.

"If you own an ATV, please familiarize yourself with all related Manchester Township Municipal ordinances which can be found at: https://ecode360.com/13200960," police said.

Illegal ATV riding has been a problem on and off for years in Manchester, and has led to multiple deaths and serious injuries. In 2020, a passenger on an ATV died when the ATV flipped and landed upside down in the lake at the Heritage Minerals site. The driver has been indicted in the crash on charges of driving under the influence. Read more: Man Indicted In Fatal ATV Crash At Manchester's Heritage Minerals

In another incident in 2020, an 18-year-old was seriously injured when he drove an ATV drove into traffic along Route 37. Read more: 1 Hurt In ATV-Car Crash On Route 37: Manchester Police

In 2021 there was a large crackdown that led to several impoundments of ATVs, and in 2022, Manchester police, with the assistance of the Ocean County Sheriff's Office, Toms River police and New Jersey State Police, arrested 90 people and issued more than 200 summonses to people during a mass gathering of ATV riders at the former Heritage Minerals site off Route 70.