Four wheel ATV (all terrain vehicles) quad bike machines are often in the news for all the wrong reasons. I am of course referring to injuries sustained through improper ATV use. More often than not the accidents would have been avoided if the operator of the machine engaged their brain before they engaged first gear.

The Motorcycle Division of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries is helping to educate ATV buyers in regards to the correct use of the machines. This is by poster campaigns, like that recently embarked on by Honda, along with supplying an ATV safety video with the sale of all ATV machines. The first edition of this video was released in 1998 before it was again revised last year. More than 35,000 copies have so far been distributed.

Stuart Strickland, Honda’s Senior Director commented on the initiative – “Honda and other ATV manufacturer’s are extremely concerned at the lack of adherence to manufacturers’ recommendations for safe use of ATV’s. Safety warnings are noted throughout owners’ manuals and all over the machine itself. It is obvious that owners are not taking any notice of these warnings, at their own peril. As a leading manufacturer it is our responsibility to lift awareness of safe use of ATV’s, especially on farms”.

And farms, rather than racing or sporting use, is where most serious injuries occur. This is often due to overloading the machine, along with a lack of protective gear and rider forethought. Speed is rarely an issue, most crashes occur at walking pace.

Recreational users also do get injured though. A recent case received much publicity when a youngster walked two kilometres to inform helpers that his father was hurt after they crashed their ATV. What those reports failed to mention is that father and son were both on a sports ATV that was never designed to carry a passenger. Neither were wearing helmets, and the rider was not familiar with the terrain.

Honda have dubbed their push for ATV safety ‘Stupid Hurts’. By that they mean if you are being stupid, then you will probably get hurt.

The safety video is full of sound common sense advice. I mentioned in the opening paragraph about engaging your brain, the video helps to present you with many potential problems that could spark the old grey matter in to life when later presented with a similar situation as those shown in the video. The video only lasts 20 minutes, for some it could be one of the most important times they will ever spend in front of the television.

Most dealers that stock ATV machines can get you a copy of this video and most will include it for free with any ATV purchase. The video has been produced as a joint effort between Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Polaris.

Some small pointers to make your ATV use safer. Most of these techniques seem to be common sense but you will be amazed to find out how many of the ATV accidents were a result of not following the simple procedures we suggest here.

• Shift your weight forward when climbing hills, even if that means standing on the pegs to position your torso as far forward as possible. This is doubly important when carrying a load on the rear of the machine; such loads make the machine more susceptible to going over backwards.

• When riding downhill shift your weight as far back on the machine as possible.

• Avoid riding perpendicular to steep slopes when carrying cargo or towing a trailer. If you must still travel along the slope shift all your weight to the side of the machine that is most uphill.