My family doesn't own an ATV, but a lot of my 17-year-old daughter's friends do. I figure it is only a matter of time before Kathleen takes one for a spin. Being a dad, I worry about the prospect of my daughter doing anything dangerous.
I worry about ATVs because I know that more than 300 people die in ATV crashes every year. Uncounted thousands are injured. I want my daughter to be prepared before she ever throws a leg over an ATV.
To that end, I contacted the ATV Safety Institute, an organization sponsored by ATV manufacturers to promote the safe use of their products. The ASI coordinates a national program of safety courses available through ATV dealers. Sign up for the course, and a qualified instructor will take you through a half-day of classroom and hands-on lessons.
The course won't guarantee your safety-or the safety of your teenager. But it will teach your kids more about how to operate an ATV than their dad probably can.
John Ruff was my daughter's instructor when she and her friend Lauren Milby took the course this summer. Of the eight kids in the class, Kathleen and Lauren were the only two without ATV experience.
"I really prefer teaching kids who haven't had experience, because they don't have bad habits and they don't already know everything," Ruff says.
He has had plenty of experience. Ruff started by telling his class about several harrowing ATV accidents he or his friends have had. Rollovers, flying rocks to the head, broken limbs-you name it, and he has seen it. When he asked the class if they knew anyone who had been hurt on an ATV, everyone raised a hand.
The four-hour class consisted of lessons on riding theory, safety practices and proper equipment. The students got a safety checklist and a lecture about doing things the right way, even if friends take safety shortcuts.
When the class moved to hands-on lessons, Ruff demonstrated. Then he supervised the class as they ran through some drills. These included making simple starts and stops, turning, weaving through an obstacle course, and riding over fallen branches.
The tips that he gave the students sounded elementary. But coming from a professional, it made an impression on even the experienced riders. In a teenager's mind, a licensed instructor knows more than a dad.
For information about an ATV safety course for you or your teenager, contact your ATV dealer, call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887 or visit www.atvsafety.org.