Sound Judgment Personal Choices Laws and Regulations Any police officer will tell you that igno- rance of the law is no defense. Your best defense is to check out your local, state, or provincial ATV laws before riding. It’ll also make sure that you can continue to ride in your favorite areas. The quick- est way to have a land area closed is by riding over the regulations. Group Behavior People always do crazier and riskier things in a group than they would con- sider doing by themselves. When you’re ATV riding with others and things start to get out of hand, decide whether you’re willing to be injured or see your friends injured.
SIPDE By themselves, none of these safe behav- iors and sound judgments will go very far. But when you put them all together... when you’re paying attention to how you feel, when you’re monitoring the move- ments of your ATV, and when you’re constantly evaluating your environment, then you’re practicing SIPDE. SIPDE is an acronym that stands for: Division I - Safety A safe, enjoyable ride is dependent on many personal choices. An ATV, like all motorized vehicles, can be dangerous to operate if you choose to ignore safety precautions, take unnecessary chances, or ride beyond your ability or your machine’s capability.
Don’t allow the thrill of freedom or adventure to affect your ability to make good, safe choices. Your Physical Condition Being physically exhausted is like being drunk. Try to do something that’s detail- oriented when you’re really tired, and you’ll feel totally uncoordinated. Don’t ride: 1. When you’re tired Reckless Riding If you are involved in an ATV accident when you’re speeding, you have a 25% chance of landing yourself in the hospi- tal. The faster you go, the more likely you are to destroy your head and internal organs, and skip the wheelies, jumps, stunts, and any other showboating. ! WARNING Indicates a potential hazard that could result in a serious injury or death.
21 21 21 21 S I P D E SCAN/ SEARCH IDENTIFY HAZARDS PREDICT WHAT WILL HAPPEN DECIDE WHAT TO DO EXECUTE THE DECISION