How to Avoid Common ATV Accidents

No matter how vigilant you are while riding your ATV, there’s always the danger of experiencing a crash. Safe ATV riding starts with smart planning, proactive inspection, and quick reaction after an accident. There are some important tips that can help you avoid common ATV accidents. S&N MotorSports has rounded up some pointers to help you get started. Keep reading to learn more and if you’re still in the market for an ATV, visit our dealership in Port Charlotte, Florida, to check out our inventory.

Maintain Your ATV

You can’t be safe if you’re riding a poorly maintained ATV because your machine could end up being the cause of an accident. Imagine having a tire blow out as you try to hit a hard corner. You don’t want something simple like a loose lug nut, sludgy oil, or a worn tire to put you in harm’s way. The best solution is to do a quick pre-ride inspection before you head to the trails and always keep your quad on a regular maintenance schedule.

Ride with Caution

Don’t go hard on the throttle when you’re starting out. It’s best to be slow and cautious while you test the ground before accelerating to a speed that might make it difficult to control the vehicle. If you do accelerate, it can be helpful to stand up a bit on your ATV to provide some more leverage, but make sure you don’t lock your joints so that you don’t shock them with the impacts of rough terrain. You can also install nerf bars for your feet to rest on so that they don’t get injured.

Stay Focused

Having a clear line of sight won’t come in handy if you’re not focused. You need to stay sharp to avoid an ATV accident. You should avoid riding your four-wheeler when you’re tired or distracted. You need your focus to be on the trails and your surroundings. As you might’ve guessed, this means that you should always ride sober. If you’re taking prescription medication, always check with your physician about how it will affect your judgment while riding.

Buy the Right Safety Equipment

In order to keep yourself and others around you safe as you ride your ATV, you will need to invest in a few pieces of equipment. The most important piece of your ATV gear is a well-fitting, DOT-rated helmet that will protect you in the event of an impact event. A motocross helmet is ideal because it’s rated for high-impact sports and it allows you to purchase a set of goggles for protecting your eyes.

The rest of your attire when you ride should serve as protection from scrapes and bumps on the trail—long pants and long sleeves, sturdy boots, and a pair of gloves with a good grip. You should equip your ATV with a repair kit for minor fixes, a first-aid kit to deal with injuries, a charging cord for your phone, and a radio in case you lose your phone signal but need to call for help.

Follow Best Practices

Always stay within the operating limits of your ATV. Don’t load down a single-rider ATV with two people, or try and fit four people on your two-up seat. Make sure that someone who’s not riding with you knows where and when you’ll be riding, and when you’ll be checking in so that if you don’t return on time someone can send help on your behalf. Don’t ride beyond your skill level. If you aren’t confident that you can crawl that rock, avoid going over the rocky terrain.

Safe Street Riding

ATVs are generally suited to off-road riding on designated trails and other open areas. Driving on paved roads can cause quads to flip over and riders can be thrown from the vehicle. However, in some states, you can upgrade your quad to make it street-legal for city street usage in certain cases. When riding your ATV on the highway or city streets with plenty of traffic, you will want to adjust your driving to be even more cautious than how you operate on a trail.

Riding an ATV can be a safe, fun activity for everyone if you take the necessary precautions. However you choose to ride, be sure to visit S&N MotorSports in Port Charlotte, FL, and let our amazing staff get you geared up for your next adventure. We welcome all our patrons visiting us from Fort Myers, so get in touch with us today!