"Hands-on training adds a large dose of safety to riding and improves the chances that you or those you care about will avoid injury or death while enjoying this activity," says chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "Ignoring safety measures increases the likelihood of you, or someone you love, being hurt or killed."
CPSC offers the following guidelines to help riders recognize hazards and make riding both fun and safe:
- All ATV drivers, adults and children, should take a hands-on ATV safety course from a certified instructor.
- Always wear protective gear — especially a helmet — when riding ATVs.
- Do not ride on a single-rider ATV as a passenger or carry a passenger if you drive one.
- Never allow more people on any ATV than the vehicle was designed to carry.
- Do not drive ATVs on paved roads. ATVs have solid rear axles, which make turning on paved surfaces difficult and dangerous and increase the risk of the ATV overturning or hitting another object, such as a tree or car.
- Do not permit children younger than 16 years old to drive or ride adult ATVs. Children younger than 16 years old lack the developmental skills to safely drive adult ATVs, and more than 90 percent of all injuries to children involve this scenario. Likewise, children younger than 6 should never be on an ATV — either as a driver or passenger.
Press release posted by Holly Wagner
