Family Atv Riding In Utah: Be Safe And Have Fun

Riding ATVs has long been a traditional year-round activity for outdoorsy Utah families. There are plenty of places to go, no matter the season, with wide open spaces and breathtaking scenery. As with any recreational sport involving machinery, parents need to be responsible and make sure their children are driving the appropriately sized vehicle, are properly clothed, and know the rules of safe ATV riding.

You wouldn't dream of letting your 9 year old drive your car, so why put her on an ATV designed for adults? It simply doesn't make sense. She doesn't have the strength, experience, or maturity level to handle the weight and power of this kind of vehicle.

With children, it is best to start with a smaller, less powerful ride: it is not unlike when she was learning to ride a bike. She started with a toddler's tricycle, went to a bike with training wheels, then to a regular child's two-wheeler. There is no way that a 6-year old would be able to ride an adult mountain bike appropriately: she simply doesn't have the necessary skills and it's not safe.

Children as young as 6 should be able to handle a 50cc ATV with speeds topping out at 15 mph; this would be the equivalent of learning to ride a tricycle. She can get used to how the machine handles, how to operate the throttle and the break, and can safely experience the independence of driving a motorized vehicle all by herself.

Once experienced riders reach the age of 12, they should be ready for a 90cc vehicle which can go 30 mph. Because the child has "cut her teeth" on a smaller and less powerful ATV, and already knows the basics, she can concentrate on the challenges brought about by more horsepower and greater speeds. She has taken off her training wheels, so to speak.

Older teens are more of a challenge since they are convinced they are big enough and strong enough to take on any kind of machine. While a large teenage boy may indeed have the body weight and build to ride an adult ATV, he may not have the maturity to ride it intelligently. Sometimes parents have to make unpopular and difficult calls about whether or not one of their older kids is responsible enough to handle not only the power, but also the quick decisions that often have to be made when riding at higher speeds.

Caving in to children's desires is not always wise: when a family chooses to adopt recreational sports involving motor vehicles, they also adopt the onus of making sure they are being ridden responsibly by every single member of their group.

To guarantee a safe and memorable day out on the Utah trails, make sure your children are riding the right sized machine for them, that they are wearing proper clothing, and review safety rules every single time you go out. Have fun!