SUMMERSVILLE, WV (WOAY) – The WVU Extension Service and New River Health visited Summersville Middle School to teach students about ATV safety.
Plenty of kids in the region start riding ATVs around middle-school age, and experts say teaching safety when they first start out is critical to developing proper riding habits.
The kids went through a demonstration taught by ATV Safety experts. The Extension Service has made a point to teach these critical skills at such a young age, especially because of recent ATV accidents that have been happening in the region.
“We lead the country in ATV-related deaths and injuries almost every year, and this year’s no different,” said ATV Safety Instructor Dave Snively.
The demonstration involves the kids first learning about what to wear while riding an ATV, and why certain clothing may not be the best.
“The first exercise we do is called ‘gear up.’ We let the kids go to a pile of clothing and pick out the proper attire to ride ATVs. And then they talk about wearing a helmet, and why you should wear long pants, and that sort of thing.”
The WVU Extension Service says they are happy to work with other schools to teach students about proper ATV safety. A school only needs to contact them to start the process.
