Four wheels of fury: ATV safety is no accident
- posted: 19 June 2007
- scrollspecial@byui.edu
Riding a four-wheeler is a two-edged sword: it can be fun, but also dangerous, if the rider isn’t careful.
Over the 2007 Memorial Day weekend, 18 people died in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents in the United States, and since 1982, 7,188 people have died in ATV accidents, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
“The machines aren’t dangerous; it’s the riders,” said Jay Fuller, a vehicle sales associate at Rexburg Motorsports. “Four-wheelers are as safe or as dangerous as the person operating them.”
One of the best ways to prevent ATV accidents is to get proper safety training. “When a person purchases a four-wheeler, the manufacturer offers a safety-training course and will actually pay the customer one hundred dollars if they attend,” Fuller said. “It’s well worth it.”
According to the ATV Safety Institute, the safety classes cover operating and safely handling an ATV, as well as making turns, riding with correct posture and safely navigating hills and other obstacles.
Another important part of ATV safety is using the right safety equipment.
“Riders should wear safety gear, head to toe,” Fuller said. “The bare minimum should be boots, gloves, chest protector, helmet, goggles, and a neck brace.”
Lenay Christensen, a sophomore from Normal, Ill., was in an ATV accident last summer. She was not wearing a helmet and temporarily lost parts of her memory.
“I had a concussion and I forgot my age, some of my roommates, the guy I was dating and all my classes,” Christensen said. “I couldn’t even remember what day it was.”
After a trip to the hospital, a priesthood blessing and some rest, Christensen’s memory returned to normal.
“I’m grateful to be alive and to not have any lasting injuries,” Christensen said. “I would never do anything like that without a helmet ever again, and I wouldn’t allow people around me to go without helmets either.”
Most ATV dealers encourage the use of safety equipment by providing inexpensive ways for customers to obtain the necessary gear.
“When a customer finances a machine they can get six or seven hundred dollars worth of safety equipment and have the same monthly payment as they would if they didn’t get the safety equipment,” Fuller said.
In addition to training and equipment, riders should constantly be aware of any hazards in the area where they are riding and should take special care when doing risky activities.
The sand dunes to the north in St. Anthony are no exception.
“If [riders] want to jump, they should use a spotter up on the top,” Fuller said. “They should go over it a few times and figure out where they’re going to land, and their spotter will make sure they don’t run over somebody on the other side.”
The National Safety Council also recommends that ATV riders should not carry passengers, should only ride on legal trails at safe speeds and should not ride on streets, highways or other paved roads. 
