OHV Safety

By Ann Lima, MD

Spring is here! With more light, more open trails, and lots of public land to explore, it is a good time to talk about OHV safety.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on average there are more than 800 deaths and 100,000 emergency visits in the United States each year involving all off-highway vehicles (OHV), including all-terrain vehicles (ATV), recreational off-highway vehicles and utility-terrain vehicles. ATVs accounted for more than two-thirds of the 2,448 deaths from 2018-2022 and nearly 300 of those deaths were among children under the age of 16. It is the responsibility of parents to determine when it is safe for your child to ride and/or operate an OHV, that they are riding the appropriate size vehicle, and that they have undergone adequate training on operations and safety.
Dangers of riding include injuries sustained by overturning, collisions and occupant ejection. Some OHVs have more safety features – like seatbelts and roll-bars – but the seatbelts must be used appropriately to improve safety. It is important to understand what to do when you come upon another OHV rider, animal or other trail-user (e.g. biker, hiker, runner, hunter), and how these vehicles handle on different surfaces such as concrete and pavement.
Golden Rules of OHV safety:
Appropriate training – you can find free training at atvsafety.org, or call 800-887-2887
Seats – never ride with more passengers than there are seats. Most OHVs/ATVs are designed for 1 rider.
Stay off paved roads – avoid public roads, except to cross where permitted.
No drinking – never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Age limits – Ride an ATV that is right for your age. Supervise riders younger than 16 years old.
Safety gear – always wear a Department of Transportation (DOT) compliant helmet, goggles, long-sleeves and pants, over the ankle boots, and gloves.
We also have a local organization P.L.A.Y. (Public Land Access Year-Round) here in Clearwater County that has a goal of promoting OHV safety and instruction, as well as promoting tread lightly in our public lands, and they maintain trails and hold annual events.