Playing Safe This Summer: Outdoor Recreational Vehicle Fun 101

As warmer weekends and summer vacations draw near, the number of Americans participating in outdoor recreational activities and sports increases. And unfortunately, so do the injuries.

By Celina De León

Never ride without a certified motorcycle helmet and eye protection.

United Spinal Association’s Motorsafe program is a nationwide public awareness campaign promoting safe motoring. The program targets all people who operate automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorboats, personal watercraft, and snowmobiles. United Spinal’s goal is to share information and knowledge of specific hazards involved in operating these types of equipment and to highlight good practices that will prevent serious injury or even death. The following are safety tips for common summer road, outback, and water vehicle recreation.

Motorcycle Safety

Motorcycle enthusiasts often spend their summer months cruising in cross-country road trips or speeding in recreational drag races or both. In addition, with the increased price of fuel, many Americans will be trading in their cars for motorcycles this summer to save money.

As part of its nationwide Motorsafe campaign to promote safe motoring and raise awareness about spinal cord injury, United Spinal reminds the public that according to a report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4,008 motorcyclists died in 2004, an increase of over 89% between 1997 and 2004. An additional 76,000 motorcyclists were injured in traffic crashes, 13% more than those injured in 2003. In addition, per vehicle miles traveled in 2004, motorcyclists were about 34 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 8 times more likely to be injured; a steep increase from 1997 when motorcyclists were 15 times more likely to die in a crash than people riding in passenger cars.

Speeding and the consumption of alcohol often play significant factors in motorcycle crashes and injuries. In 2004, 36 percent of all motorcyclists involved in deadly crashes were speeding, which is approximately twice the rate for drivers of passenger cars or light trucks. That same year, alcohol involvement was 31 percent higher for motorcyclists than for drivers of passenger vehicles.

United Spinal’s Motorsafe program stresses the following precautions to the public before it takes its motorcycles on the roadways this summer:

• Never ride without a certified motorcycle helmet and eye protection.

• Read your owner’s manual thoroughly.

• Attend motorcycle rider educational classes.

• Wear the proper shoes, gloves, and clothing.

• Purchase a bike you can handle safely.

• Consider the primary use of your bike—don’t buy a “trail” bike for highway use. Similarly, don’t buy a “highway” bike if most of your riding will be off road.

• Follow the rules of the road and drive defensively.

• Ride sober and awake.

ATV Safety

Many families and adults like to spend their summer months riding ATVs on rough off-road terrain. With ATVs’ increasing popularity amongst youth, especially teens, parents are often faced with the need to buy ATVs that are designed for young adults. But the decision on which model is best can be a tricky one. Many ATV manufactures market ATVs aimed at teens that are bigger and faster but not necessarily safer than the children’s models.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 40,400 children went to the emergency room in 2005 because of ATV-related injuries; in 2004, at least 155 children were killed in ATV accidents-nearly three times as many a decade ago.

United Spinal’s Motorsafe program emphasizes the following safeguards to the public before engaging in any ATV activity:

• Ride an ATV that has the right specifications for your age and size.

• Riders younger than 16 should always be supervised.

• Always wear protective gear, such as a helmet and goggles.

• Ride at safe speeds.

• Never ride on public roadways, only on designated trails.

• Never ride if you’re intoxicated, tired, or on medication.

• Never carry a passenger on a single-rider vehicle.

• Take an ATV educational course.

Personal Watercraft Safety

Days spent at the nearby lake or favorite beach are what many vacationers hope to do this summer. But along with relaxing in the sun, many revel in skimming the waves with their personal watercrafts.

United Spinal strongly suggests the public remember that in 2005, the U.S. Coast Guard received reports for 4,969 boating incidents; 3,451 participants were reported injured and 697 died. Open motorboats were involved in 45% of all the reported incidents, and personal watercraft were involved in 26%.

“Too often we are seeing instances where an adult will rent a personal watercraft and then family and friends operate it with little or no regard to age or boating education and training,” said the Coast Guard’s Office of Boating Safety.

United Spinal’s Motorsafe program advises the public to heed the following forewarnings prior to going out in the water or allowing a teenager to operate a watercraft:

• Know the local weather conditions before heading into the water with your watercraft. Strong winds and thunderstorms with lightning strikes are dangerous.

• Wear safety equipment, including a life jacket, eye protection, a wet suit, gloves, proper shoes and a helmet. Make sure everything fits properly and always operate your personal watercraft with the safety lanyard attached.

• Be alert to other watercrafts and the state of the waves and rip currents. Collisions result in more injuries and deaths than any other type of personal watercraft accident.

• Never stand up on your personal watercraft or maneuver it through another watercraft’s wake.

• Avoid sudden sharp turns and excessively high rates of speed.

• If you are a passenger, always hold tight and alert the driver if you are in danger.

• Never operate your personal watercraft in water that’s less than two feet deep.

• Never operate your personal watercraft at night.

• Never operate your personal watercraft while intoxicated or taking medication.

For more information on summer motoring safety, or to download a free Motorsafe brochure and safety tips card, please visit Motorsafe. United Spinal also offers free publications on its website such as “Stay Safe,” which provides information and advice on how to protect children from watercraft injuries. You can download this and other publications at www.unitedspinal.org/disability-publications-resources.

Celina De León (publicaffairs@unitedspinal.org) works in Public Affairs.