Riding the trails in the back country is something I cherish greatly. I like to ride hard and fast and I enjoy technical riding the most. Other people just like cruising the trails at a moderate to slow speed, which is fine also. But when it comes to ATV riding in general – some people just don’t get it!
I see it all the time but on a recent ride to the Red Cone/Webster Pass area I was surprised at the number of people out riding Without A Helmet! There were more people out riding without helmets than those with helmets!
I have wrote about helmets many times before but this last trip really bothered me. What the hell are these people thinking? Have they mastered the skill of riding an ATV on unfamiliar terrain? NO WAY!! I don’t care how you ride or how long you have been riding, if you think you are in complete control of all of the variables of off-road riding then you are an idiot and you are ruining our sport.
I saw people with small kids riding their utility ATVs without helmets. Don’t they understand the laws of physics? If a 700 pound ATV rolls over on top of them, do they believe their head can absorb that without major consequences?
I am sick and tired of reading the latest ATV news every week about someone dying in an ATV accident without wearing a helmet, Especially kids. I am sorry but I just don’t understand how some people can afford the latest and greatest ATV ($7,000 – $11,000) but can not afford a $300 helmet or the sense to wear one.
I saw an elderly couple riding together on an ATV rated for one person, both without helmets on a steep trail. Things happen that are out of our control when riding and most of the time we avoid an accident. But there are times when an accident is unavoidable because this is a rough sport.
One of my worst accidents were just cruising down a straight trail and my front a-arm bolt came out causing the ATV to flip. The ATV came over on top of me and bounced off of my helmet. For those riding behind me and see the accident, it was obvious what the outcome would have been for me without a helmet.
The last thing I want to see is a ATV helmet law for something that should be common sense. Plus I hate having the government dictate what I should and should not do. If you enjoy riding ATVs and want to preserve your riding opportunities then do the right thing and wear a helmet and encourage others to do the same. It’s basic ATV safety.
$300? You can get a cheap one for around $100, even cheaper for a kids helmet. There are to many things that can do you in.
I would also never ride heavy/fast without a chest protector.
I would say something if I seen an adult with a kid riding without a one.
A small price to pay for something that could help prevent a life changing event. Every week there are several ATV accidents involving irresponsible riders without helmets. It gives the sport a bad public image.
No, no, I 100% agree. My point was there is no excuse for not using a helmet. You can get them for under $100. If you can afford an ATV then you can afford the main protective gear. A friend of my wife’s husband died on a dirt bike a couple years back. Got a limb to the chest. You would think people would learn but some people just doesn’t think.
Sounds like you ride in my world. Same around here. I used to belong to an ATV club that hosted some really great events, but I dropped out because they would not endorse helmet wearing. They actually were pretty much against it. I finally decided to drop out of the club after one ride were there were about 40 or so ATVs, with at least 2/3′s of that group riding double on single rider machines, and only one other rider in the entire line was wearing a helmet.
I just didn’t want to be involved in a group that put safety on the back burner just because helmets aren’t the most comfortable item. To me it’s a lot more comfortable than a busted open skull.
Sorry, don’t mean to rant on your blog. It’s just something I’ve felt strongly about for a while. I’ve been riding ATV’s since they just had three wheels. I’ve wrecked plenty, and there never was one time I ever planned on wrecking. You never know what’s going to happen. I’ve even busted up a couple helmets and come out unharmed. They definitely do their jobs.
I have been wearing a helmet for so long I fell naked without one. I guess it takes an accident for people to realize the true value of a helmet. Luckily for me I was wearing one with my accidents.
I’ve watched “safety” videos on YouTube and the person they were teaching, her first time ever riding, was NOT wearing a helmet! Great teaching. There was an 8 year old little boy just last week here that wrecked, he was wearing a helmet or he would not have survived. I’m all about riding hard and having fun, but safety definitely, most DEFINITELY comes first.
I see it all the time, kids riding without a helmet right in front of their parents. Now that’s child abuse!