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Show Safety On OHVs With the number of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) in Utah reaching an all-time high, Utah State Parks and Recreation staff remind riders to play it safe. All too often, an enjoyable day of recreating in Utah's mountains, deserts or other areas ends in tragedy because of an accident or injury on an ATV or motorcycle. motorcy-cle. Eric Stucki, OHV education specialist with Utah State Parks and Recreation, encourages riders rid-ers of all ages to get appropriate education before venturing out on a ride. "The vast majority of riders have never taken an education course," reports Stucki. "This is the single biggest contributor to accidents in the state." A recent survey of reported accidents confirms Stucki's observation. Seventy-eight percent per-cent of off-highway vehicle accident victims reported having had no formal training in off-highway off-highway vehicle operation. Stucki suggests riders, regardless of age, enroll in one of many training courses available avail-able throughout the state. These ; courses are required for youth ages eight to 16 who want to ride on public land. Since 1987, Utah State Parks and Recreation has offered training train-ing for young riders. Statistically, trained operators are significantly under represented repre-sented in accident statistics. For example, in 2002, Utah State park rangers investigated 168 OHV accidents. Of those 188 victims, 18 percent were under 16 years old, and only nine of those completed the Division's training program. Nationally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports nearly 40 percent of all ATV accident victims vic-tims are children under 16 years old. "We definitely feel our emphasis on education, coupled with parental supervision, has made a difference," said Stucki. He also suggests riders who are moving to a new or more powerful machine, or who are returning to the sport, consider taking a training class to refresh their skills. Utah State Parks and Recreation recently entered into partnerships with the ATV Safety Institute, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, Utah State University Extension's 4H program, pro-gram, and the Utah Farm Bureau to help bring training to more Utah riders. Any of these organizations organ-izations can direct riders to an appropriate training course. In addition to obtaining quality qual-ity training, Utah State Parks and Recreation makes the following fol-lowing suggestions for OHV riders: - 1. Always wear a helmet and other protective gear. Utah law requires helmets for any rider under 18. 2. Parents should make sure the ATV or motorcycle their child will be riding is the appropriate appro-priate size for the age, ability and size of the child. The Division offers a guide sheet for parents. 3. Parents should always supervise and coach young riders. rid-ers. 4. Always ride within your ability and within the capability capa-bility of the machine. Never attempt any maneuver that makes you feel uncomfortable. 5. Never ride alone. Always ride in a group. Not only is this more fun, but it is also safer. 6. Finally, ATVs and most motorcycles are designed for a single operator. Never carry a passenger on any OHV that isn't designed for multiple riders. For more information on OHV safety or education, contact con-tact Utah State Parks and Recreation at 1-800-OHV-RIDE or 1-800-648-7433. |