Years ago, Shari Black provided support to patients with traumatic brain injuries while working alongside occupation therapists. Many of these injuries were the result of ATV accidents, says the executive director of the Ontario Federation Of All Terrain Vehicle Clubs (OFATV), an organization that was founded in 1999.
“In many cases, they’re not on a regulated trail, the machine is too big for their knowledge or capacity, or they’re impaired,” she says, adding that adult men make up the highest percentage of ATV accidents. “We have to teach youth the basics from the beginning so we avoid getting to this point.”
In April, the OFATV launched a new online ATV training program for youth called Ready to RideON. The program was designed to address what Black calls a “gap in ATV education” in Ontario.
“Ontario is a huge province,” says Black. “There are tens of thousands of youth riding ATVs and not enough opportunity for them to learn how to ride them properly.”
In Ontario, snowmobile riders who are over 12 years old (or 16 without a drivers license) are required to take a provincial-approved snowmobile course and obtain a Motorized Snow Vehicle Operator’s License. The OFATV has been lobbying the provincial government to expand this criteria to ATV riders.
Current provincial regulations require that off-road ATV riders be over the age of 12—unless supervised by an adult—and are required to carry an off-road vehicle permit.
While Black says that the program doesn’t replace the value of one-on-one education with a certified instructor, it gives the OFATV the ability to reach more youth.
Ready to RideON consists of two hours of online instruction, including how to turn on an ATV, safety and environmental features, and preparation for trail riding. At the end of the program, users take part in a simulation module on their computers that mimics an ATV ride down a virtual trail.
The OFATV used a curriculum development organization to create the modules, which ensures that they give users enough information without overwhelming them.
Implementing provincial regulations is a slow process, but Black says the program can help mitigate risk in the meantime.
“Raising a generation of smart riders is really important,” she says. “We know there’s a gap in education, so let’s build a program that ultimately we’d like to mandate.”
So far, the program has had a positive response from parents and kids.
“We’ve been hearing parents say, ‘I remember being 13 years old and getting my snowmobile license. I was too young to drive a car, but I could drive a snowmobile,’” she says. “Kids love the idea that they can go on the trails with independence, and parents love that they’re doing it safely.”
For more information or to enroll in the program, visit ofatv.org/ready-to-rideon.
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