How To Stay Safe When Riding on ATVs

Riding on ATV is very dangerous, and if you don’t keep to all the safety rules, it can be even more dangerous.

In fact, if you don’t keep to all the safety rules, you raise your chances of having an accident by about 50%.

That’s why I made this guide for you, to give you 18 tips on how to be safer when riding an ATV. So, let’s get started.

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1. Make sure the tires are perfectly maintained

One of the most important parts on your ATV is the tires.

The role of the tires on your ATV is to stabilize you and provide more comfort while riding.

Keep in mind that if you do not keep your ATV’s tires in good order, they can lose air very quickly, which can be very dangerous, especially when riding at very high speeds.

And because of that, you need to check the tires before every ride and make sure they have enough air and that they don’t have a hole or tear that can blow them.

If there is no air in the tires you will need to try and re-fill the air inside them, but be careful not to overfill them.

If there is a hole in the tires, you will have to replace them.

2. Ride with another friend

The best thing you can do to be more confident when riding on your ATV is to ride with another friend. This will not only make you feel more confident, it will also make the ride more fun.

However, I do not suggest you ride with lots of friends because it can seduce you to become reckless and you can even bump into them while riding, which can be very dangerous.

3. Take a safety course

It is very important that you know all the safety rules for riding an ATV and a safety course is the best way to start learn them.

Safety courses do not usually cost a lot of money, and if you are lucky and you have an ATV center near to your home, you can probably ask the teachers there to teach you about all the safety rules.

But if you don’t have a center near home, I highly recommend you look for safety courses online.

If you don’have the money to pay for a riding course, you can watch this video below to help you understand some basic rules before you go riding.

In addition, if you do not understand why a safety course is important, you should read the post I wrote that explains to you about why ATVs are dangerous. Click here to view.

4. Wear appropriate protective equipment.

Wearing good protective gear is by far the most important thing you need to do to stay safe while riding on an ATV.

Protective equipment includes a good helmet that is made from hard rubber, long trousers, gloves, and protective goggles.

It is important to understand that the more money you spend on protective equipment, the better quality it will be and the more it will help you to stay safe.

5. Maintain your ATV before each ride

When I talk about maintaining your ATV, I’m talking about checking your wheels, your brakes, your bulbs and all the important parts of your ATV.

It is very important to maintain your ATV so that it has no problems while riding and it will also help improve the life of the ATV and give you a much better performance.

6. Ride in safe weather

Riding in water or rainy weather can be very dangerous.

You have to understand that riding in snow or rain is much more dangerous than riding in the sun or in dryer conditions.

Due to this, if you are not an experienced rider I do not recommend you ride in dangerous weather, Instead, you should ride in the sun at first or on easy terrains like grass, and only after that should you try to ride in more difficult places.

7. One rider on an ATV

Riding an ATV with multiple riders can be very dangerous because you can overload your ATV, which makes it harder to ride and that could be very dangerous.

Even though I said riding around with another friend is good, I meant if that friend has their own ATV and can ride apart from you.

Also, if you have an accident while riding with another rider on the ATV, they can drown you, and that is another reason not to ride with more than one passenger on one ATV.

8. Look after your child while riding

If you are a parent of children under the age of 16 who ride an ATV, you are required to make sure that they don’t go too fast.

In fact, about 25% of fatalities while riding an ATV were children under the age of 16.

Because of this, I would also advise you to give your child a safety course which can very help them to be safer when riding.

9. Be careful as you go up and down hills.

The most dangerous places for ATV riders, especially at first, is when you go up and down on hills.

The reason why hills are dangerous to ride on is because the terrain is very unstable.

You need to hold your legs firmly to grip the ATV and hold the handlebars well and make sure you lean forward and always be ready to set foot on the brakes.

When riding on hills you have to ride at a steady speed, which means not too fast and not too slow, and you will be safer.

10. Let someone know where you plan to ride

One of the important things you need to do is inform a friend or your parents where you are going to ride.

This is very important because if you go somewhere and you have a serious accident and you can’t move, you can be sure your parents or friends will know where to come looking for you.

It may sound dramatic but believe me, it is very important, especially when you are going to ride alone.

Also, make sure to tell someone where you are going to ride and the time you are going to return to make sure they know where you are.

11. Don’t drink alcohol while riding

One of the things that can dramatically endanger you is drinking alcohol and riding your ATV at the same time.

You need to realize that when you drink alcohol a couple of hours before riding or while riding, you up your chances of having a serious accident by about 50% because you will not be able to control the ATV and the speeds you ride.

Also, not only are you endangering yourself, you are also endangering the other riders around you.

12. Do not ride on public roads (if you aren’t a pro)

Riding on a public road can be very dangerous, especially when you are a beginner.

Riding on the road is much more dangerous than riding on trails because the chances that other drivers will hurt you is very high.

And for those who do not know, ATV riding is allowed only if your ATV is legal for road riding.

In general, road riding is only for riders who have experience or for those who need to move from one place to another and do not have another vehicle to do it.

13. Know how to choose the right transmission for you

You must know how to control your ATV’s transmission properly.

In fact, riding in a transmission that does not fit your riding level can be very dangerous and believe me, you do not want to start the ATV and reach a very high speed that you do not even know how to control.

Therefore, I highly recommend that before you start riding an ATV you ask a cycling trainer or even your friends which transmission is best for you.

14. Do not ride at night

If it is important for you to ride in the safest way possible, I would not recommend you ride at night.

Riding at night is definitely more dangerous than riding in the morning, and due to this I recommend it only for professional riders.

I would never recommend you let your children ride at night without the close supervision of a parent.

If you want to read more about this topic, I wrote a detailed guide that will show you all the things you need to know about riding your ATV at night. Click here to view.

15. Don’t ride when you’re tired and unfocused

Riding an ATV requires you to be alert and focused when riding and if you ride your ATV when you are tired you may increase your chances of having an accident.

And because of that, never ride when you’re tired, no matter what.

16. Be sure the brakes work

The most important thing you need to maintain and test before riding on your ATV is the brakes.

Trust me, you don’t want to ride when the brakes don’t work.

Pro tip – Don’t pull your brakes too tightly because it can throw you off of the ATV, which can cause a very serious injury.

17. Don’t ride an ATV that is too big for you

The worst thing you can do is to ride an ATV that is too big for you. You will have a very hard time controlling it and if the ATV flips over you, the damage could be huge and even life-threatening.

Because of this, you will need to buy an ATV that is suitable for your size and height. To know if the ATV is suitable for your height, just sit on it and make sure your feet can touch the floor.

If you want to hear more about choosing the right ATV for you, I highly recommend you read the post I wrote on the topic. Click here to view.

18. Ride slowly

One of the best things you can do to ride safely is to ride slowly on your ATV.

In fact, the faster you ride, the more you put yourself at risk. I know it is more fun to ride at high speeds but you must consider what is more important – your fun while riding, or your safety?

Summary

To summarize today I have shown you all the things you need to know to be safer when riding an ATV

Here they are:

1. Make sure the tires are perfectly maintained
2. ride with another friend

3. Take a safety course
4. Wear appropriate protective equipment
5. Maintain your ATV before each ride

6. Ride in safe weather for riding
7. One rider on an ATV
8. Look after your child while riding

9. Be careful as you go up and down on hills
10. Let someone know where you plan to ride
11. Don’t drink alcohol while riding

12. Do not ride on public roads (if you aren’t a pro)
13. Know how to choose the right transmission for you.
14. Do not ride at night

15. Don’t ride when you’re tired and unfocused
16. Be sure the brakes work.
17. Don’t ride an ATV that is too big for you

18. Ride slowly