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Show Police Crack Down on Motorcycle Riders Cedar City Police Chief Douglas S. Bolton announced this week that the city policy will be making a greater effort to more strictly enforce the state laws regarding motorcycles. Of particular concern, said Chief Bolton, will be the citing of unlicensed motorcycle drivers under 16 years of age. Chief Bolton referred to a letter recently written to area law enforcement en-forcement personnel by juvenile court Judge Joseph E. Jackson which indicated in-dicated that there is confusion in the area about the legal and ilegal uses of motorcycles by unlicensed drivers. Most people, wrote Judge Jackson, seem to have the misconception that unlicensed juvenilies may drive motorcycles as long as they stay off the streets and highways. Under the Utah state law a motor vehicle - motorcycle included - cannot be driven by unlicensed drivers on any street, roadway or highway or on any public lands. This includes federal and state parks, BLM land, city, state or county property. Judge Jackson points out that it is a class C Misdemeanor to operate a motorcycle in violation of the licensing licen-sing law and is punishable by a fine of up to $299. The law. Judge Jackson points out. does appear to allow unlicensed drivers to operate motorcycles on private property when the driver has the expressed written consent of the property owner. Chief Bolton states that motorcycles motor-cycles are a particular problem in Cedar City every summer and the police department receives many complaints about youngsters riding motorcycles on streets and vacant property throughout the city. These complaints m-nully vary from noisy vehicles to speeding to reckless driving. Chief Bolto concurred with Judge Jackson that there has been confusion about the status of underaged motorcyclists but hopes that the public understands that the department's depart-ment's emphisis on stricter enforcement en-forcement of the law will mean that unlicensed drivers found operating any motor vehicle on public property and roadways will be cited into court for the offense. The Cedar City Police Department is asking all parents of children with motorcycles to assist them in the effort to avoid the unlawful use of motorcycles and is encouraging anyone with questions about the law to contact the police department for further information. |