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According to the Pauls Valley Democrat, six teens and pre-teens ages 12-18 were involved in a single vehicle accident Thursday night on a county road northeast of Pauls Valley. An Oklahoma Highway Patrol report showed that a 16-year-old girl was the driver of the 2009 Polaris Ranger 700 EFI ATV which was carrying 5 passengers. The driver lost control of the vehicle as it ran off the ride side of the road into a ditch where it hit a tree. Consequently, the driver and two of the passengers were thrown from the ATV an unknown distance. The driver and one of the passengers thrown suffered the most serious injuries.

This accident reinforces the need for proper safety precautions any rider of an ATV should take. Recognizing the dangers of these vehicles, the ATV Safety Institute has 8 “Golden Rules” that all drivers and passengers of ATV’s should obey.

  • A DOT-compliant helmet, goggles, long sleeves, over-the-ankle boots, and gloves should always be worn.
  • ATV’s should not be driven on paved roads except to cross.
  • Never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • There should never be any passengers on a single-rider ATV or more than one passenger on an ATV specifically designed for two people.
  • Ride an ATV that is suitable for your age.
  • Riders younger than 16 should be supervised.
  • ATVs should only be ridden on designated trails at a safe speed.
  • Riders should take an ATV safety course.

ATVs are not toys, and just like any moving vehicle, significant injury can occur if they are driven recklessly or without adequate safety. Excess riders, no supervision, wrong terrain. Unfortunately, all factors led to disaster in this particular instance.

Our prayers are with the injured riders for a quick and speedy recovery.

One Comment

  1. Gravatar for MHurst
    MHurst

    I am a bit confused -- the machine listed in the article is not an ATV it is a side by side UTV -- They are completely different machines still a tragic event and the safe riding rules should always be applied however so should accurate reporting. Things like this add to the "bad" reputation some things have. It wasnt the machines fault, it was those who were operating and those who were supervising the machine. Taking an ATV safety riders course is good for ATV's and some information can be gleaned from it and transferred to UTV's but they are two different machines, they handle and operate differently -- get the right training for the right piece of equipment and wear the correct PPE

    Thank you

    v/r

    MJH

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