ATV trail riding is a
fun and exciting sport that can provide hours of entertainment for
the whole family. There is nothing like a good day on the trails, out
in the sun and wind, to bring the family together or to meet up with
friends or to make new ones. But ATV trail riding isn’t all fun and
games; there is a large degree of safety precautions involved. While
you’re having fun you still have to remember that you are working
with a motorized vehicle and, although it is designed for recreation,
that vehicle needs to be treated with the same respect and caution
that you would a car or a motorcycle. For this reason, before you hop
on that brand new ATV and hit the trails, you might want to consider
taking an ATV safety training course.
Unlike a car or
motorcycle, no license is required to operate an ATV. Many people
learn how to ride from older siblings, parents or friends. While
learning from friends or family isn’t a bad idea overall, there
might be some finer points to driving ATV’s that your family or
friends might have left out.
While you might find
some places that will offer an ATV safety training course not all
courses have certified trainers. The ATV Safety Institute (ASI) was
founded in 1988 with the intent to provide a course that would
educate riders about the safe operation of their vehicles and the
hopes that once the students completed the course that the numbers of
accidents and injuries on the ATV trails would be reduced. The idea
seems to have worked, since 1984 many of the accidents involving ATV
riding have been greatly reduced. ASI is also a non-profit
organization.
When you purchase your
ATV most of the manufacturers such as Honda, Arctic Cat, Yamaha and
others will offer you the opportunity to take the ATV safety course
free of charge. If you don’t own an ATV and might be considering
buying one for yourself or a family member, you may still take the
course for a small fee. As with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation
where the course provides the motorcycle, some ASI courses might
include the use of ATV’s donated either by manufacturers, local
motor sports shops or private donors. Check with your instructors
first to find out if you need your own ATV or not.
An ASI course will take
you through all the basics of operating and riding an ATV and only
takes half a day to complete. Certified instructors will teach you
step by step each required skill in a controlled environment. You
will begin with the use of proper safety equipment and how to start
and stop your vehicle properly. Later on you’ll move up to going up
and down hills and over and around obstacles on a closed course. Each
lesson builds on the previous one, becoming more of a challenge as
the course goes on.
Children as young as 6
years old can take the course. There are special classes for the age
group between 6 and 16 and parents are required to be present during
the classes. All ASI instructors complete a broad training program
and must meet all of ASI’s requirements before they are allowed to
call themselves a certified instructor. ASI reports that they have
more than 1000 active certified instructors in more than 12000
locations across the United States. For more information or to locate
a course near you, visit the ASI website at http://www.atvsafety.org/
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