ATV Madness

An article on a slightly more serious note today. I have written extensively on other sites in the past that I am sick and tired of the bad press attributed to many outdoor power sports.

A search of Google news will reveal new stories on a daily basis siting accident, damage, destruction, injury or death involving power sports participants.

Well newsinferno.com is today reporting that ATV accidents continue to rise unabated. It was a bit of an eye opener for me.  A new report published by the Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that atv related deaths and injuries increased from 146,000 in 2007 to 150,900 in 2008.

What does this say about responsible ATV riding? It says that a significant minority of riders are forgoing training, common sense and caution and pursuing their sport with reckless abandon.

Unless you are involved in an ATV racing league where most accidents should occur (even though safety is paramount) there really is very little excuse for ending up in the morgue or hospital.

Sure those attracted to ATV riding tend to enjoy the adrenaline rush of fast riding on tracks and trails but it shouldn't be this dangerous. I suspect that the bulk of accidents, injuries and fatalities take place because of a lack of training and off road experience.

Today, I make a plea that, if, as an atv rider you have never had any formal riding training you remedy this straight away by having lessons off a qualified instructor and indeed spending a day on the trails with an instructor.

The experience will not only prove invaluable - making you a much better rider. But it will also greatly reduce your chances of a visit to ER.

ATV riding is superb fun but proper training is essential to develop riding skills and an appreciation of the terrain. Please do not waste any time and sign up for safe riding training today.

A great place to find out more information is atvsafety.org so why not check it out now.

When fully trained you may want to return to this site to check out our used atvs for sale.