It's not unusual to see children operating all-terrain vehicles on roads winding through Idaho's forests, canyon lands and deserts.

But this year it is completely legal. The Idaho Legislature passed a law last session making it legal for children too young to have a driver's licenses to ride off-highway vehicles on any road not part of the state highway system. Local jurisdictions such as cities and counties can and largely do regulate travel on their roads, but the law opens up thousands of miles of dirt and gravel roads, particularly those in national forests.

"From a technical sense it is a change, but from what's been going on out there, it's not," said Doug Gober, ranger of the Clearwater National Forest's North Fork District. "Kids have been riding these roads without driver's licenses."

Still the law is a concern and the Forest Service has been working with local sheriff's offices to spread a safety message. They are asking parents to make good decisions about which roads they travel with their kids and to keep them under close supervision.

"Our advice to adults is really think twice about taking kids on a road, especially a busy road, if they are not licensed," said Gober. "Most adults when they turn that key they say 'I'm operating a motor vehicle and I have to operate it in the same way as any motor vehicle,' where as a kid turns that key and it's fun time. The risk is a kid sees something interesting on the other side of the road and whips over there."

The law requires underage riders to be accompanied and supervised by adults and to obey common traffic laws.

"Remember that ATVs are vehicles, and many of the rules of the road still apply," said Latah County Sheriff Wayne Rausch.

Recent national statistics posted at http://www.atvsafety.gov/ show that approximately 600 to 1,000 people die and nearly 150,000 visit hospital emergency rooms annually as a result of all-terrain vehicle accidents. Children under 16 account for about one in five deaths.

"The sheriff's department believes that this is a very positive step in working with the Forest Service and the public to highlight safe ATV use," said Idaho County Sheriff Douglas Giddings.

Gober said the Forest Service has no authority to regulate the age or license status of people who operate vehicles on its roads. The only thing the agency can control is the types of vehicles allowed on roads. So if the agency wanted to stop kids from riding on its roads, the only tool it has is to close the roads to all ATVs and motorcycles.

"We really don't want to do that because it impacts all the licensed riders who are not the issue. We hope to work with user groups and the sheriff's departments and other interested folks encouraging the right type of vehicle operation and being extra safe," said Gober.

Andy Brunell, who works for the Forest Service as a liaison with state government, said the agency is working with user groups and sponsors of the law to make an amendment in the 2010 legislative session. He said both Utah and Montana require under age riders to receive some basic "rules of the road" training. The agency would like to see Idaho adopt a similar policy.

"These roads are traveled by highway-legal vehicles and commercial-sized vehicles. There is a real traffic-mix issue that needs to be addressed."

In the meantime the agency, along with the Latah, Clearwater and Idaho county sheriff's departments, is asking parents to keep children under close supervision when operating on roads, reminding them that state law requires riders under the age of 18 to wear helmets and advising young drivers to receive formal training in traffic laws.

County and Forest Service officials also advise young riders to ride machines designed especially for their smaller bodies and are reminding riders that most ATVs are designed for only one rider.

Brunell said the message needs to reach not only young riders and their parents but others using forest roads.

"This is a meat-and-potatoes public safety message. The outreach we are doing with sheriff departments is aimed not only at (off -highway vehicle) users but also everybody else out there driving the roads - logging contractors, livestock permittees and even our own employees, just so they are aware they may encounter underage and untrained riders on forest roads."

Washington state law requires ATV drivers younger than 13 to be supervised by a licesensed adult rider when operating on roads. But the Legislature is considering a bill that would raise the age to 18.

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Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273.