UTV Safety
UTVs, or utility terrain vehicles, are useful and versatile vehicles for all your work and play needs. While they’re similar to cars, UTVs require you to be more vigilant because of extreme riding conditions over difficult terrain. Your local UTV dealer is Riva Marine and Motorsports of the Keys, located in Key Largo, Florida. We’re well-versed in the rules of the road including good safety practices, so we’ve provided this guide to UTV safety to help you stay safe out on the trail or while off-roading.
Stay Sober
Sobriety is key when you’re riding any motorized vehicle. Just as you don’t drink and drive your passenger car, you shouldn’t drink alcohol or use recreational drugs before or while operating your UTV. Drugs and alcohol impair your focus, slow your reflexes and make you much more likely to take undue risks. Do yourself and those around you a favor and stay sober when operating your UTV.
If you have any health conditions or take any prescription medications that could preclude you from operating heavy machinery like a UTV, you should consult your doctor to make sure you’re okay to operate your UTV. Know how medications affect you before you get behind the wheel and make sure to hand over the keys if you’re not sure you can safely drive your vehicle.
Get Geared Up
Having the right safety gear is vital to the safety of you and your passengers. Everyone on board should wear a well-fitting helmet, which can either be a motocross helmet with goggles or a motorcycle helmet with full face mask. It depends on what’s comfortable to you and what you might already have to hand. There aren’t really UTV-specific helmets in production, which is why we recommend these options since both are made for high-impact extreme sport riding already.
The rest of your attire should serve to protect your skin from scrapes, bumps, debris and sun exposure, so wear long sleeves and pants with sturdy boots and gloves to enhance your grip. Your UTV should also contain some safety equipment in the cargo compartment, such as a first aid kit, a repair kit with tire patches and air compressor for inflating tires on the road, signal flares, an emergency radio, your phone and charger, a paper map of the area you’re in since you might lose your phone or GPS signal, a fire extinguisher, snacks, water and anything else you think might be necessary for your ride. You don’t want to get stuck out in the middle of nowhere with no emergency supplies!
Monitor Kids
When older children and teens operate a UTV, they should have taken a safety course in order to do so and also be briefed on how the UTV works. Ideally you’ll have them practice in an empty lot before they go off-roading. Monitor your child at all times while they operate the UTV and be ready to step in if they seem like they are having a hard time with it. Make sure they know all the rules that you have to follow and set a good example by following the same rules when you drive.
Never take very young children as UTV passengers since UTVs are not equipped for car seats. Ensure that children know not to bother the operator while the vehicle is in motion and that they keep their hands and feet inside the UTV at all times. Kids can have a lot of fun on a UTV provided they stay safe!
Stay On The Path
Finally, whether you’re a novice or an expert to UTV riding, it pays to stay on the beaten path. When it comes to trails, they’ve been set up in a certain way to avoid damaging the surrounding environment and harming any wildlife. Going off road in these areas can endanger animals and ruin the environment, and you’re also setting yourself up to hit an obstacle that you wouldn’t have seen coming. Sticking to the given trail will keep you and others safe.
Still in the market for a UTV of your own? We have a great selection of new and used UTVs for sale at our Key Largo dealership, so come and see us when you’re scouting out your next powersports purchase. Riva Marine and Motorsports of the Keys also serves Miami, Florida.