ATV Rider Safety for Ages 10+ - What You Need To Know

if you're watching this video awesome because it means you just got a new tracker 90 atv you ready to ride of course you are but not so fast watching this video is kind of like the airline safety announcements you have to watch before takeoff i know more rules but hey if you don't understand everything about an atv you could lose control and severe injury or death could occur so you'll want to be careful in this video we'll cover stuff that you just gotta know and we'll do some riding to show you a few things like how to climb a hill without flipping or how to make sharp turns without rolling over now maybe you're like an expert already great but what will a few minutes hurt plus it'll make your parents happy then you can go riding right let's do this okay really quickly here is something very important that you might not know about atvs you see there is no such thing as one size fits all each atv size is matched with the age of the rider the tracker 90 is designed for ages 10 and older and that makes it just right for younger riders if you aren't sure there is a sticker on the atv that will tell you what you need to know and another thing riders under 16 should never ride without adult supervision and another rule and this one is so important the atvs we're talking about in this video are made for exactly one rider you carrying a passenger increases your risk of losing control so never ever take your friends along for the ride just don't do it now let's review the gear that you need to have so how would you like a nice piece of gravel right in your eye yeah me neither when riding an atv you'll want protection from things like flying rocks sticks and other things that you might run across by the way that flying stuff is what many atv riders call roost no not rooster roost and it's all part of the ride so here are the kind of clothes and gear that you'll need let's start with boots your legs feet and ankles need support as you shift your weight when taking turns or hills so running shoes won't cut it and sandals not so much and barefoot well you better mean barefoot because you never ever ride without covering your feet you must wear sturdy over the ankle boots like a good hiking boot to help prevent ankle and foot injuries next you must wear durable long pants and a long sleeve shirt because when you get brushed by a bush or a tree limb you'll quickly see why shorts and t-shirts just don't mix with atvs and if an accident does happen this clothing will help protect your skin and that's important oh and if it's too hot to put on the proper gear then maybe it's just too hot to ride um do you like your fingers and hands yeah me too so you need the right gloves off-road gloves are padded over the knuckles and they protect your hands from things like slapping branches and flying gravel and they even make the ride more comfortable by absorbing vibrations from the atv so i know a kid that once got a seed in his eye because he wasn't wearing goggles he had to go to the doctor and couldn't open his eye for four days so like your eyes need protection from you know bugs dirt and well seeds and your shades won't cut it you must get a pair of goggles that wrap around the eyes good goggles should be scratch resistant with something called a hard coated polycarbonate lens just google it and look for the ve sc8 or v8 logo it means the goggles were designed tested and approved for atv riding and make sure the goggles match and fit your helmet if they don't seal around your eyes they aren't the right fit so keep looking there is one acceptable option some helmets have a pull-down visor built in this visor seals the front of the helmet and also offers the needed eye protection okay let's have some fun let's see what happens when this pumpkin hits a tree [Music] ouch so imagine if you were the pumpkin going 20 miles an hour and you can see why you gotta wear a helmet and not just any helmet when shopping for one look for the department of transportation dot logo or the snell foundation logo on the helmet that means the helmet passed a high level of safety standard testing [Music] i wonder if they test these helmets with pumpkins now there's an idea yeah don't try this at home we used an old helmet for this little demonstration there's a couple of quick things you should know about picking out a helmet make sure the helmet fits snugly and fastens securely because it won't help much if it falls off right before you really need it when riding an atv a full face helmet is a must it's because it protects the whole head better that means your head will have a much better chance of surviving that accident you didn't think you would ever have another thing helmets don't last forever so if your helmet would ever take a severe blow you must replace it immediately the last piece of gear you should consider and i really like mine is the chest protector sometimes called a roost protector they weigh almost nothing mine is like one pound it's well vented and it protects my body from flying stuff called roost why protect this part of the body well let's see um heart lungs yeah stuff like that pretty important right hey they don't cost too much and it's a great idea plus you look like a storm trooper awesome okay last time then we're done what's the first thing you do when getting into a car you fasten your seatbelt right of course you do well before you climb onto any atv always put on your safety gear including your helmet and make sure that it's securely fastened now you're ready to ride okay i told you we would do some riding and we will promise but there's one more thing to cover there is also a lot to learn about the atv this video is one way to find the info you need but don't forget to read the owner's manual it covers things about the tracker 90 you'll need to know also pay special attention to the warning labels in the manual and stuck right on your atv they are there to help you keep it in good running shape and keep you safe let me ask you did you know that pilots inspect their airplane before every flight be like a pilot inspect your atv before every ride wait what every time you ride yeah like you must do this every time you ride the last thing you want is to be stranded from something that you could have caught if you just look for it first set the parking brake before you start the inspection this is a really good habit to get into now you're ready to get started with the walk around number one check the air pressure on all four tires if they don't have the right amount of air it can cause the atv to handle really weird the same goes with having too much air in the tire weird isn't how these are supposed to ride and here's something to know you'll need one of these it's a tire gauge made especially for the low tire pressure of an atv a regular car tire gauge won't work make sure the tires are inflated to the pressure that's in the owner's manual and lifted right on the tire while you're at it look for any cuts or gouges that could cause a leak number two using a torque wrench make sure the wheel nuts are tightened to the proper torque number three check the lights turn everything on and make sure the headlights and taillights are working and that the brake lights come on when braking lights are good even in bright sunshine because it helps you see other atv riders and avoid running into them number four now check the fluids sometimes leaks can be hard to find so look carefully because if you run out of oil your atv might die [Music] check the gas tank and fill it up why well what if you ride farther than you thought you would pushing an atv is not nearly as much fun as riding one [Music] number five here's something that a lot of atv riders forget to check it's the air filter if it looks dirty then follow the instructions in the manual on how to clean it why bother with this it's how your engine breathes air and if it gets really dirty it can do serious damage again your atv might die [Music] number six next check the chain is it dirty or clogged with mud is it getting worn out yeah that's a thing make sure it's properly adjusted according to the settings in the owner's manual and hey if you aren't sure ask for help now look at the chassis and the suspension parts just make sure there aren't anything like sticks or rocks stuck in these parts and number seven finally give the atv a close look and check all the nuts and bolts that you can see just make sure they're tight because riding on rough terrain will cause parts to loosen up tighten them up if needed and use a proper wrench by the way you might remember this whole list with something called t-cloth t for tires and wheels c for controls and cables l for lights and electronics o for oil and fuel and c for chain drive and chassis and suspension hey guess what we're ready to ride now if you're part of that point zero zero one percent of people that have never climbed on a bicycle let's show you how that's done using an atv first make sure the parking brake is set so the atv does not roll away that would be so embarrassing next stand on the left side of the atv then grab the handlebar with your left hand then put your left foot on the foot rest now lean over and grab the other handle bar and swing your free leg over the seat place it on the other foot rest now just sit down on the seat done all right ready to start the atv um yeah like i've been ready start your atv using the bone c checklist b set the parking brake o turn on the ignition key and set your fuel to on n put the atv in neutral e put the engine stop switch to run or start and c choked if the engine is cold meaning it's cold weather or this is the first ride of the day you might want to pull the choke to the on position as the engine warms up turn the choke off now press the starter button to fire up the engine now this is a good time to tell you something about riding atvs you see it's different than anything else i learned that atvs are what's called ride or active that means that you shift your body weight when turning going up and down hills or crossing over stuff like rocks and logs you have to really know what you're doing so check this out [Music] okay stretch out a little bit because riding our atv is a lot different than driving a car we're going to be moving around and being rider active you want to be able to move your weight along with your atv in order to keep your atv and yourself upright so whenever you're making a turn you're going to shift your weight into your turn look through your turn head and eyes level always keep your knee in and keep your foot on the footrest now turn the other way shift your weight into your turn keep your foot on the footrest knees in and look through your turn head and eyes level okay now that you understand about rider active you're ready to roll release the parking brake while applying the brakes with your left hand next shift into forward gear that's the f then release the brakes and slowly give it throttle with your right thumb when you're ready to stop or slow down then gently squeeze the brakes and remember ride with caution while you get a feel for your atv [Music] now speaking of brakes they're really important because stopping is good i mean go over a cliff or stop um yeah i shoot stop every time so here's a couple of tips to remember when braking when turning do most of your braking before the turn you might do just the opposite in a car but here's why to do it this way for an atv if you turn too fast and hit the brakes too hard you can lose control and tip over here's something else when riding on slippery surfaces you should gently apply both brakes lightly is the key braking too hard can lock the wheels and make you lose traction and that's not good here's something that you might be tempted to do but don't never take either foot off the foot rest why is that well you can lose your balance even while seated and that's not good either so let's talk about speed yeah we're talking about your safety here it's important to know your limitations the more you ride safely the more skills you'll develop don't try anything beyond your skill level and as much as you may want to never ever operate your atv at excessive speeds you increase your risk of losing control if you go too fast for the terrain visibility conditions or your experience level and don't even think about trying wheelies jumps or other stunts by the way here's one of the biggest mistakes that people make riding their atv believe it or not they don't look forward when they ride yeah they look at the ground right in front of them and they whack a tree that they didn't see think about this it's called sipti and it stands for search identify predict decide and execute we stuck a gopro on a helmet before this rider learned about sifty and guess what they spent most of their time looking at the ground here's what they should be looking at instead look forward down the trail see what's coming decide what to do then do it and remember stay focused and alert at all times even a quick little distraction can lead to losing control and something you definitely don't want a serious or even deadly accident okay we're riding and having some fun but here's what's so cool about atvs you can go places where cars and pickups can't and that means riding up and going down some hills but not just any hills some hills are just too steep for your atv no matter how good you are so use some common sense if that hill looks too steep then it probably is find a better path or go around it okay let's talk about riding on hills it's important to have momentum when you're riding on a hill because you want to get all the way up and over you don't want to stop on the hill so you're going to give it a little bit of gas have some speed as you approach the hill so you're going to stand up and shift your weight forward so you have your weight to the uphill side over your front wheels good okay as you're going to go down a hill you're going to get your weight all the way back okay because it's important always keep your weight to the uphill side so when you're going down the hill have it to the back all right now to traverse the hill traversings if we're going to ride along the side of the hill we're going to keep your weight to the uphill side so make sure you use your hips keep your weight to that pill side and always look in the direction you're going all right who's ready to ride some hills okay now you've made it to the top before you go back down check the terrain choose the straightest and clearest path possible now shift your weight to the uphill side keep your speed low so you can keep control the atv and always keep your feet on the foot rest and look ahead now sometimes you might need to ride across a slope instead of straight up and down it that's called traversing here are some of the basics keep both feet firmly on the footrest your instincts might tell you to put your foot out for balance if you start tipping don't do it instead lean toward the uphill side of the slope that helps keep the atv's wheels in contact with the ground if it begins to tip turn the wheels downhill then jump off toward the uphill side immediately so we've covered turns and hills but what about crossing obstacles like rocks and logs or a rut in the ground first will you be crossing the obstacle with one tire or both tires if it's a two tire obstacle then cross those by firmly holding the hand grips and standing up slightly bend your knees and elbows so you can use them as shock absorbers now approach the obstacle at 90 degrees and watch your speed and finally you might need to add a slight amount of throttle when the front wheels meet the obstacle just be sure to release the throttle when the front wheels have gone over and then get ready for the back wheels to hit if only one tire is crossing the obstacle say like a rock then it's pretty much the same but don't add throttle as you cross it last thing about obstacles sometimes you just shouldn't try to cross it be smart and be safe and be ready to go around all right turns check hills check obstacles check wow with practice you could become an expert there is another type of obstacle that we should discuss water crossings can be fun but they can also be dangerous so pay attention please first try to avoid riding through water in the first place it's one thing to splash through big puddles but please avoid riding in streams and rivers [Music] next you should never ride through water deeper than the maximum depth listed in the owner's manual three if you must cross a stream try to stay away from the fast current it can be much stronger than what you see or think and yeah that heavy atv will actually float in the right water conditions and then you can get washed away if you find a safe place to cross always be ready to shift your weight in any direction to keep your balance and finally you should always test the brakes after leaving the water to make sure they work properly just give them a gentle squeeze as you ride away and remember that wet brakes won't work as quickly as dry brakes will and another reminder for conservation you really should avoid water crossings wherever you might damage stream beds or where fish might spawn and please don't just plow through vegetation growing near the shoreline that'll cause the banks of the stream to cave in and that's also called erosion it's a bad word for landowners and not good for water quality okay we've talked about how to ride in turns hills over obstacles and through water atvs will go nearly anywhere but hear me now never i seriously mean never ride on pavement you see an atv isn't designed for that it's meant to be driven off road and be sure to follow these rules if you must cross a hard paved road make sure you know your state's laws and regulations about atvs crossing roads bring your atv to a complete stop on the shoulder of the road yield the right-of-way to all oncoming traffic and look both ways twice ride cautiously and cross the road at a 90 degree angle make sure there are no blind spots where you cross now if you're riding in a group have the first rider dismount on the shoulder and watch for traffic as he or she weighs the group across the road then have the last rider dismount on the shoulder after crossing and watch traffic to help the leader across [Music] here's one more note about conservation and keeping atvs looking good in the eyes of people that might not ride them it's up to all of us to only ride on designated off-road trails in areas respect the rights of others private property owners other trail users and campers obtain travel maps and regulations from public agencies before you ride keep away from meadows lake shores wetlands and streams do your part by behaving responsibly and here's a quick note to your parents about your new 90 atv did you know that you can adjust the 90 to make it run more slowly when first starting out that's actually a pretty good idea beginners can take their time learning how to safely drive off-road then when they're ready it can be adjusted to run faster top speed is about 10 miles per hour and that's just right for this atv so we're almost done here and you can go ride for real awesome okay almost done i promise i'd like to share with you what the atv safety institute calls their golden rules these are a good idea keep you safe keep your atv in good shape and help everyone have a great time always wear a d.o.t compliant helmet goggles long sleeves long pants over the ankle boots and gloves never ride on paved roads except to cross and only when done safely and permitted by law another vehicle could hit you atvs are designed to be operated off highway never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs never carry a passenger on a single rider atv and no more than one passenger on an atv specifically designed for two people ride an atv that's right for your age supervised riders younger than 16 atvs are not toys ride only on designated trails at a safe speed take a hands-on atv rider course and the free online e-course just visit atvsafety.org or call 800-887-2887 learn more okay how about one very last thing let's call it bonus material remember that pre-route inspection or t-clock of course you do well what if something happens on the trail you sure can't call the auto club that's why it's a good idea to keep a toolkit with you equip your kit with the following an extra spark plug electrical tape spare bulbs mechanic wire duct tape a knife a flashlight tow strap or 10 feet of rope a spark plug wrench wrenches screwdrivers pliers a tire repair kit and of course it would be a great idea to learn how to fix this stuff before you need to know it now it's time for a ride just remember the only way to really learn is to do it on the trail the very last thing please sign up for an atv safety course you can even use your tracker 90 in the course the things you learn in this course could save you from serious injury or worse you can learn so much more at www.atvsafety.org so have fun and ride safely off-road [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: TRACKER OFF ROAD

Views: 2,363

Rating: 4.8823528 out of 5

Keywords: tracker, tracker off road, tracker atvs, tracker utvs, tracker side by sides, atv, utv, side by side, textron, textron offroad, textron off road, atv safety, rider safety, four wheeler safety, how to ride a four wheeler, ride an atv, atv protective gear

Id: Pf6T3fLtlio

Length: 23min 44sec (1424 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 07 2021