Tri-State ATV Club - Safety

The following suggestions are intended to make your ATV/UTV ride safe and enjoyable. Your focus on safety should start before you leave home and continue until all the equipment is put away.

The following suggestions are intended to make your ATV/UTV ride safe and enjoyable. Your focus on safety should start before you leave home and continue until all the equipment is put away.

All Tri-State ATV Club-sponsored events will be led by competent guides who are familiar with the trails to be used and the conditions to be met. There will be enough guides to ensure that everyone takes the right trail at junctions and to make sure that no one falls behind the group. For your own safety and peace of mind and that of the entire group, we require that every rider stay with the group and follow the assigned guides. In case of emergency and you need to leave the ride, please talk with your guide. Those who prefer to travel faster than the group and who decide to strike out on their own are generally the ones who have troubles.

All Tri-State ATV Club-sponsored rides are classified according to the difficulty of the trail and necessary rider skill and experience. We assume that each rider will adequately assess his own ability and choose those rides that will not offer challenges beyond his experience of ability. This includes adequately assessing the capability of the vehicle for a particular trail.

Utah requires all riders under the age of 18 years to wear a helmet. Helmets are highly recommended for all other riders and passengers as well, as are eye protection, gloves, abrasion-resistant clothing, and boots.

Don’t push yourself beyond your limits either in speed or distance you plan to travel. Exceeding either limit leads to fatigue and loss of control which can cause accidents. The trails are meant for leisurely travel, not for speed. Most accidents can be attributed to traveling too fast for conditions. Accidents may also be caused by excessive dust and limited visibility. You can minimize dust and increase your riding safety if you allow 15 to 30 seconds between yourself and the rider ahead of you.

You should plan to carry plenty of water or other non-alcoholic liquids. Unless you are used to the aridity of Utah you can lose more body fluids than you realize, leading to dehydration and exhaustion. Do not drink water from streams. Giardia, a water-borne disease, is found in all surface waters and can ruin a good vacation.

 

Please observe the following tips and State and Local Ordinances:

Observe the same traffic laws as other normal vehicles. Courtesy goes a long way in avoiding and preventing problems with other users.

ATVs/UTVs shall yield right-of-way to automobiles at all times. Parts of the trails are also used for larger vehicles so be cautious and always yield right-of-way to them while riding. ATVS/UTVs shall also yield to horseback riders who may be using the same trail. When meeting horseback riders please pull off the trail and turn off your engine, allowing the horse to pass without being spooked by your machine.

All ATV/UTV trails and roads are subject to two-way traffic. Please use extreme caution when riding to avoid head-on collisions. Be courteous when allowing other riders to pass.

ATV/UTV use in cities and towns is restricted to designated routes except to directly access motels, gas stations, and other related services and activities, and for direct access to the trail. Each city and town has certain streets designated as ATV/UTV routes. Please use and respect these designated streets and other routes and yield to normal vehicle traffic.

Trails and side roads have not been signed. Please stay on a designated trail and prevent the disturbance and misuse of public lands. Riding on public lands is a privilege, please help to preserve it.

Utah State Law requires that operators of ATVs/UTVs be 8 years of age or older. Operators between ages 8 and 16 must be State certified in order to ride on public lands. If your ATV/UTV and younger riders are registered, certified, or otherwise legal in your home state, that status will be honored by the State of Utah for a period of 14 days. Parents or guardians of younger riders are required to provide close supervision while riding.

Thanks for observing our community and State OHV laws and ordinances. Your strict conformance to these laws will help us ensure and preserve your right to use ATVs/UTVs on public lands in the future and will enhance your safety and enjoyment of Tri-State ATV Club-sponsored activities.