Driving on Roads - ATV Aware
Susan Harris
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05/19/2021
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Driving on Roads
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- [00:00:00.219](upbeat music)
- [00:00:27.720]In this segment of ATV Aware
- [00:00:29.912]we're going to talk about driving ATVs on roads.
- [00:00:34.730]One of the biggest misconceptions about riding ATVs
- [00:00:37.950]is that it's safer to ride on a road.
- [00:00:40.680]Guess what? It's not.
- [00:00:43.230]And not just because there's traffic on roads,
- [00:00:45.750]that doesn't even rank at the top of reasons why.
- [00:00:49.570]Not only is it dangerous, it's the law in Nebraska.
- [00:00:53.000]No operating an ATV or UTV on highways, County roads
- [00:00:56.950]or any public roadway is allowed
- [00:00:59.050]unless it's for an agricultural reason.
- [00:01:01.450]So if you need to check cows
- [00:01:02.810]or move a pivot and driving down the County road
- [00:01:05.890]or highway is the only way to get there.
- [00:01:07.770]You are legal.
- [00:01:08.780]As long as you have a driver's license.
- [00:01:10.660]If you are driving down those roads
- [00:01:12.320]for any other reason, you're breaking the law.
- [00:01:15.900]The only two exceptions are to cross a public road.
- [00:01:19.160]And if your small town allows permits
- [00:01:21.120]to drive on the streets.
- [00:01:23.750]Why would no driving on a road be a law in Nebraska?
- [00:01:28.270]A lot of reasons actually.
- [00:01:30.530]These tires are not designed for pavement or gravel.
- [00:01:34.130]Think about the difference between
- [00:01:35.720]a car tire and an ATV tire.
- [00:01:38.490]The car tire is designed for roads
- [00:01:40.330]because it's narrow, low tread, with high air pressure
- [00:01:43.440]typically 33 to 35 pounds per square inch.
- [00:01:47.600]About as opposite as it gets
- [00:01:49.430]ATV tires are super fat looking,
- [00:01:51.870]wide with deep tread to grip and grab
- [00:01:54.350]everything in their path.
- [00:01:55.550]What we don't see and what maybe ATV owners
- [00:01:57.776]don't even realize is that the air pressure in these tires
- [00:02:00.746]should only be 10 to 15 pounds per square inch.
- [00:02:04.150]That seems almost flat.
- [00:02:06.130]They need to be that way because they're designed
- [00:02:08.260]for dirt off the road, not on roads.
- [00:02:11.160]This kind of tire on the road is simply dangerous.
- [00:02:14.060]Now, consider that stability is compromised
- [00:02:16.820]because of a narrow wheel base and a high center of gravity.
- [00:02:20.040]That means tipping over on turns
- [00:02:21.670]happens much easier than with other vehicles.
- [00:02:24.350]Of course, there's also traffic
- [00:02:26.610]and other vehicles won't see you as well
- [00:02:28.590]as if you were in a car.
- [00:02:30.290]And one more strike against roads
- [00:02:31.910]is that speed becomes the issue.
- [00:02:34.180]We feel so safe on the road and we tend to go way too fast.
- [00:02:37.810]You think it will never happen to you, check out this guy.
- [00:02:41.700]He didn't either.
- [00:02:43.630]He had just a subtle movement of sitting up a little bit
- [00:02:46.760]and then boom,
- [00:02:49.730]that center of gravity is compromised.
- [00:02:52.040]Now that you know what to look for, let's watch it again.
- [00:02:54.780]See, he gently lifts up
- [00:02:56.960]and flips so fast that the guy behind
- [00:02:59.300]didn't even have time to notice what was happening.
- [00:03:01.610]Doesn't even turn his head.
- [00:03:05.180]I'm not sure how badly this man was hurt
- [00:03:08.000]but it couldn't have been good.
- [00:03:09.930]That ATV landed right on top of him.
- [00:03:15.030]So combining the wrong tires, narrow wheel base,
- [00:03:18.480]high center of gravity, tendency to speed and low visibility
- [00:03:22.580]for other vehicles, roads are the kiss of death
- [00:03:25.970]with all those factors against us.
- [00:03:28.450]Many fatal crashes happen on a road,
- [00:03:31.940]even on the best dirt surfaces
- [00:03:33.730]ATVs require weight shifts and slower speeds.
- [00:03:37.160]So keep it in the dirt,
- [00:03:38.270]slow down before the turn,
- [00:03:40.020]and never break when you're turning.
- [00:03:43.440]Not only should we always stay off roads,
- [00:03:45.600]we should stick to terrain that we know.
- [00:03:47.880]But sometimes that terrain changes and we have to be aware
- [00:03:50.570]of potential hazards, never let down your guard.
- [00:03:53.020]And that means scan and search and don't fixate.
- [00:03:57.510]Identify hazards up ahead.
- [00:04:00.150]Predict what might happen
- [00:04:01.280]as a result of your choices.
- [00:04:03.570]Decide what to do,
- [00:04:06.010]slow down to do it and execute your decision to reduce risk
- [00:04:09.910]by changing your path, or maybe adjusting your speed.
- [00:04:13.260]All those things that we do when we're not stressed
- [00:04:15.880]and not reacting to an urgent situation.
- [00:04:19.060]Just give yourself time to think before you act.
- [00:04:22.770]I'm Susan Harris, Nebraska Extension Educator
- [00:04:25.630]in Rural Health Wellness and Safety.
- [00:04:28.347](upbeat music)
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