1. The state, its political subdivisions, and the owners or tenants of property adjoining public lands or the right-of-way of a public highway and their agents and employees owe no duty of care to keep the public lands, ditches, or land contiguous to a highway or roadway under the control of the state or a political subdivision safe for entry or use by persons operating an all-terrain vehicle, or to give any warning of a dangerous condition, use, structure, or activity on the premises to persons entering for such purposes, except in the case of willful or malicious failure to guard or warn against a dangerous condition, use, structure, or activity. The state, its political subdivisions, and the owners or tenants of property adjoining public lands or the right-of-way of a public highway and their agents and employees are not liable for actions taken to allow or facilitate the use of public lands, ditches, or land contiguous to a highway or roadway except in the case of a willful or malicious failure to guard or warn against a dangerous condition, use, structure, or activity.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 321I.23

  • All-terrain vehicle: means a motorized vehicle with not less than three and not more than six nonhighway tires that is limited in engine displacement to less than one thousand cubic centimeters and in total dry weight to less than one thousand two hundred pounds and that has a seat or saddle designed to be straddled by the operator and handlebars for steering control. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • Condition: means a general problem that may be attributable to a defect in more than one part. See Iowa Code 322G.2
  • highway: means the entire width between property lines of every way or place of whatever nature when any part thereof is open to the use of the public, as a matter of right, for purposes of vehicular travel, except in public areas in which the boundary shall be thirty-three feet each side of the center line of the roadway. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Roadway: means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel. See Iowa Code 321I.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Vehicle: means any vehicle as defined in chapter 321. See Iowa Code 321H.2
 2. This section does not create a duty of care or ground of liability on behalf of the state, its political subdivisions, or the owners or tenants of property adjoining public lands or the right-of-way of a public highway and their agents and employees for injury to persons or property in the operation of all-terrain vehicles in a ditch or on land contiguous to a highway or roadway under the control of the state or a political subdivision. The state, its political subdivisions, and the owners or tenants of property adjoining public lands or the right-of-way of a public highway and their agents and employees are not liable for the operation of an all-terrain vehicle in violation of this chapter.
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