ATV and Dirt Bike Safety Tips

ATV and Dirt Bike Safety Tips

Caitlin Schmitt, Editor/Writer

Many people own quads, especially in the kind of area Great Bend, Kansas is in. Depending on how ‘city’ or ‘country’ you are and the lifestyle that you live, that can be great or annoying. But bottom line, it isn’t big of a deal because there are laws prohibiting riding in town and there are designated places to go ride. There are many advantages and many disadvantages to owning and riding a four wheeler, but most of the disadvantages include safety hazards caused by not wearing a helmet, goggles, thick pants, good shoes, and/or gloves.

While there are no direct causes of four wheeler accidents, many of them involve negligence to safety of the rider or others around the rider. The ‘cause’ could be drunk driving, speeding, hill-climbing, vehicle rollover, loss of control, holding two passengers on a one seater, falling off and landing under the fourwheeler, and many more. Any of these types of accidents can be deadly, So before riding you should look into safety precautions.

It’s not recommended to have a child under 16 driving a four wheeler, but it still happens casually. There are all-terrain vehicles that have been matched for specific ages, so if you’re going to have a child ride a four-wheeler, choose the right one! Also, make sure they know how to operate it safely. In order to know which size they should be operating, have the child stand on the foot rests of the ATV and grasp the handlebars. there should be a three inch gap between the ATV seat and the child’s seat of the pants. Then, have the child move the handlebars all the way to the right and then left. If they can do this without struggle, that’s the right size for them.

“While riding my dirtbike I wear a helmet, chest guard, riding pants and riding boots so when I fall I can get right back up. That’s how you get better, you practice!” Says Rony Gonzalez, senior.