Hittin’ the trails
Experts offer advice for safely operating ATVs
It’s about getting out.
“You’re away from town. You’re in nature.”
That’s why Trevor Cruickshank, president of the Pictou County ATV Club, loves the hobby.
“It’s fresh air and it’s good just to get out with a bunch of guys and like-minded people,” he said. “You go out and spend the day and take your lunch with you. It’s just a social thing, really.”
Thanks to the work of ATV associations and snowmobile clubs, there are now hundreds of kilometres of trails people can use throughout Pictou County and Nova Scotia.
But while people are out enjoying nature, they need to keep safety top of mind. That’s why the ATV Association of Nova Scotia, Pictou County ATV Club, RCMP and others joined together to host a media day Oct. 18 to highlight the dos and don’ts of operating motor vehicles.
The Oct. 10 death of a 62-year-old Guysborough County woman highlights the risks associated with ATVing.
RCMP Cpl. Greg Deagle said the most important thing to do when starting to use an ATV or side-by-side is to take a safety course. They are offered throughout the province and are now required before operating an ATV. These courses can help avoid some common dangers as well as learn about the capabilities of the machine you are using. Information about taking a course can be found on the Department of Natural Resources website (www.novascotia.ca/ natr) and also at the ATVANS website (www.atvans.org).
Wearing a helmet is another requirement that he said is important to follow. Helmets can greatly reduce injury in the event of an accident.
As with any motorized vehicle, it is illegal to operate at ATV while impaired.
Cruickshank said there are also laws governing the age and power of a machine that people can operate under the age of 16 — 50cc for those 12 and under and 90cc for those 16 and under. After age 16, you’re free to drive whatever size is comfortable or appropriate.
Youth operating an ATV should be supervised and operate in a controlled environment, he said.
From an environmental perspective, conservation officer Stephen Fraser, with the Department of Environment, said ATVers should stay away from bogs, swamps and brooks — “any of those sensitive areas.”
With hunting season underway, he said it’s a good idea to be visible this time of year. Hunters using ATVs should have their guns unloaded while they’re on their ATV.
People are encouraged to join an ATV club to meet others with similar interests, get trail access and also insurance.
Steve Foley, who is vice president of the ATV Association of Nova Scotia, said his group has been working with landowners and clubs to get landowner agreements, which will increase access for members.
“That gives the landowner the right to close a trail or limit the use of it.”
When all the rules and safety concerns are taken care of, ATVing is something that people can enjoy with their whole family. Cruickshank said they are now seeing more and more couples ATVing.
“Passengers didn’t always like it years ago when they were sitting on the back,” he said. “Twenty years ago you just had the steel rack on the back of your ATV and it wasn’t very comfortable.”
That’s changed with the advent of better passenger seats on ATVs as well as side-by-sides.
“They’re purpose-built and it’s so much more comfortable,” he said. “The side-by-sides really opened up a whole new market because it’s more familiar to a lot of people. An ATV is more like a motorcycle with handle bars and foot controls, whereas, a side-by-side now, that’s more like a car. You jump in and it has a steering wheel, a gas pedal, brake pedal and gear shift. That’s familiar to people.”