I have come across this nice photo of the son of one of my friends on Facebook! I am pleased to confirm that he was not operating the vehicle and I thought it might be a good idea to share a few quad bike safety tips with my friends.

At the end of last year there were several stories in the media about quad bike accidents involving minors. This is something that is preventable with the correct safety checks and parental supervision, and i would like to share some of the advice found on the Arrive Alive road safety website:

Safety Checks

All drivers of ATV’s should wear protective gear at all times. Apart from the prescribed protective gear such as helmets, goggles, face shields etc there are basic “ machine fit criteria” that could be followed. These criteria include the following:

• Do the driver’s feet easily reach the foot pegs for the ATV?
• Can the driver comfortably reach the handlebars while sitting in an upright position?
• Can the driver easily manipulate the levers and shifter on the machine?
• Can the driver turn the handlebars from lock to lock?
• Does the driver understand and can they operate the starting and stopping features of the ATV?”

Recommendations

• No one under the age of 12 should operate an ATV and children under the age of 16 should not drive an ATV over 90 cc
• It is important to make sure that the ATV fits the rider in both size and strength
• While operating an ATV, a child must be under the continuous visual supervision of a person 18 years of age or older
• Pre-ride inspection will provide further protection to young drivers - The most common checks include tires, wheels, controls, lights, switches, oil, fuel, chain/drive shaft, and chassis
• More reliance should be placed on warning labels and the owner’s manual to communicate key safety messages
• Safety training should be available and recommended to new purchasers of ATV’s