The number of head injuries related to all-terrain vehicles is dropping but other injuries are increasing
The Saskatchewan All-Terrain Vehicle Association has started a campaign to raise awareness of ATV safety.
“We just set up a little bit of an obstacle or slalom course, whatever you want to call it,” said SATVA general manager John Meed. “We’re going to let the media folks have a little bit of a ride to get an idea of what it’s like.”
Meed and SATVA secretary-treasurer Brian Patterson brought both a quad and side-by-side for the media to drive, to help understand the dynamics of operating an ATV.
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“You have to learn how to shift your weight,” said Meed. “You have to make sure that if you’re going uphill, you’re leaning forward, downhill, leaning backwards.
“Most of the stuff is covered in our training courses, and I highly recommend everybody take the course, because they don’t operate like any other vehicle.”
The Canadian National ATV and Quad Safety Week ran between June 3 and 12.
On June 5, Meed and the SATVA had Canadian safety instructors in Emerald Park near Regina to teach kids how to inspect the vehicle before operating and how to safely drive the vehicle on different terrain.
“It starts with how to understand the machine,” said Meed, “Check your tire pressure, make sure your oils up … then they start talking about acceleration, deceleration, braking, turning.”
The SATVA has tips on its website, www.satva.ca, which include wearing proper helmet and eyewear, along with pants, boots and gloves, operating the machine at a reasonable speed, not attempting stunts outside your skill level and never driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
According to Meed, these are the main causes of ATV-related injuries and deaths.
“Alcohol is so huge, and not wearing your equipment, your helmet and things like that.”
There were three ATV-related deaths last year in Saskatchewan, including a side-by-side getting hit by traffic when crossing a highway and a roll-over. He said alcohol was not reported as a factor, but it could have been.
While Meed did not have official injury statistics from 2021, some patterns showed ATV safety might be improving.
“What was interesting is we did see a decrease in the head injuries. Now that would be an indicator that people are wearing their helmets which is what we really, really want.”
Injuries to other parts of the body have actually increased slightly, according to Meed, but the SATVA is focused on getting people to wear DOT-approved helmets, preferably ones with a “full face front” to protect the rider’s mouth and chin.
