Riding on Different Types of Terrain

Trails

• Stay on trails you can ride safely. If a trail contains even one section beyond the capabilities of your skills or your ORV, avoid it.
• Slow down when riding from sun into shade. Your eyes need time to adjust, so you may not see smaller obstacles quickly enough to avoid them.
• For maximum safety, keep your headlight on so that oncoming riders can see you easily.
• Operate with caution. Obstacles could be in the trail.

Sand Dunes

• Mount an antenna flag on your ORV. Other riders can see the flag even if you and the vehicle are hidden behind a dune.
• Avoid riding on:
  • Vegetation
  • Wet sand
• Look for features that indicate sharp drop-offs, such as slip faces and razorbacks. Otherwise, if you approach from the opposite side, you may not see the drop-off in time to prepare yourself or avoid it.
• Be careful at midday, when obstacles may be hard to spot because they don’t cast a shadow.
• Traction on sand is noticeably different than on harder, dirt surfaces. In general, you need to accelerate earlier and apply the brakes earlier than you would on normal off-road terrain.

Snow

• Check the antifreeze level if you have a water-cooled ORV. Check your owner’s manual for other cold-weather requirements.
• Check with local law enforcement to find out if ORVs are allowed on snowmobile trails.
• Change the engine/transmission oil to a lighter weight for better circulation in extreme winter temperatures.
• Check local weather reports, and monitor weather changes.
• Dress warmly to offset the lower wind-chill temperature.
• Ride only on firm snow or groomed trails. Riding on soft snow can damage the terrain.
• Watch for snow drifts. They may cause an accident or cause you to get stuck.

Ice

Ice presents many of the same handling problems as riding on pavement. Also, spins are common and fast stops are impossible. Be extremely cautious.

• Maintain a slow, steady speed. Don’t speed up or apply the brakes abruptly.
• To stop, release the throttle and coast to a stop.
• Do not ride on frozen rivers and lakes if you can avoid it, but if you must:
  • Watch for rivulets flowing on the ice or streams flowing under it. Even when the surface looks solid, a current under the ice causes erosion from below. Ice over a flowing river is at least 15% weaker than ice over a lake.
  • If you’re in a group, avoid crossing in single file. If the group leader falls through, riders in single file may not be able to stop or maneuver the ORV quickly enough to keep from following the leader through the ice.

Reading and Traversing Terrain

To ride safely, you must assess the terrain ahead of you and decide how best to handle that terrain. You need to pick the safest route around obstacles or hazards.

• Stay on existing trails. Avoid dangerous terrain such as steep slopes or marshes.
• Travel at speeds appropriate for the terrain and your ability.
• Scan the path far ahead of you, not just immediately in front of you. You need to see obstacles far enough in advance to take appropriate action.
• Be careful when approaching obstacles you can’t see around, such as hills or turns.
• Turn into ravines or large depressions at a 45-degree angle.
• On ATVs or other 4-wheel ORVs:
  • Cross obstacles at an angle, one wheel at a time.
  • Go around large rocks. Straddling a large rock could damage the bottom of the vehicle.
  • Straddle ruts to keep the vehicle level.
• Avoid mud on a trail if you can do so and stay on the trail.
• Be alert when riding over unfamiliar terrain.