ATV Safety Tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

To help stay safe, follow common sense safety tips. Take knowledge to the extreme and learn more about these important tips for safer riding:

• Get trained
• Wear a helmet
• No children on adult ATVs 
• Don’t ride tandem
• Don’t ride on pavement
• Don’t ride under the influence

Take a Hands-On Training Course

Learning to drive a new unit can be challenging.  Good use training teaches new drivers how to handle multiple riding situations.   Experienced drivers (with more than one year of experience) have a much lower risk of injury than relatively new drivers. Training can help bridge that gap. Yet, less than 10% of all power sports drivers and only about one-quarter of new drivers receive professional training.

All drivers, including children under 16, should take a hands-on safety course from a certified instructor.  These are offered by the ATV Safety Institute, local rider groups, some state departments of natural resources, state highway departments, local motorcycle shops and other agencies responsible for regulating power sports use. The National 4-H Council also sponsors educational seminars on safe riding for children and teenagers.

Always wear Protective Gear - ESPECIALLY A Helmet - when riding your unit

Other important protective equipment to wear while riding an ATV includes:

Over-the-ankle boots – to protect feet and ankles from injury. 
Goggles – to protect eyes from rocks and dust thrown up by ATVs, Go-Karts, or Dirt Bikes. 
Gloves – to protect fingers and hands. 
Long pants and long-sleeved shirt – to protect skin from rocks, trees, and other debris
Do not drive ATVs with a passenger or ride as a passenger

The majority of ATVs and Dirt Bikes are designed to carry only one person. These units are designed for interactive riding – drivers must be able to shift their weight freely in all directions, depending on the situation and terrain. Interactive riding is critical to maintaining safe control especially on varying terrain. Passengers can make it difficult for drivers to control the unit.

Do not drive Off-Road only vehicles on paved roads

ATVs and other off-road units– because of how they’re made – are difficult to control on paved roads. Collisions with cars and other vehicles also can be deadly. Many fatalities involving ATVs occur on paved roads.

In addition, most ATVs have low pressure tires and a solid rear axle, where both wheels turn at the same speed. When making a turn, the ATV's inside rear wheel is intended to skid because its path length is less than the path length of the outside wheel. ATVs on paved surfaces have much better traction, which prevents the necessary skidding. This can make turning an ATV on paved surfaces unpredictable and unstable.

Do not permit children to drive or ride adult Power Sports vehicles

Please make sure you buy an age appropriate unit for your child.  Adult ATVs should be used by Adults only.  Children under 16 on adult ATVs are twice as likely to be injured as those riding youth ATVs.

Do not drive any unit while under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Alcohol and drugs impair reaction time and judgment, two essential skills for safe ATV use.  ATVs should NEVER be driven while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. ATVs are high-speed, motorized vehicles that require the driver’s full, unimpaired attention.