As the name suggests, ATVs are designed for use on a variety of terrain types, but if used outside of their safe operating parameters, they can rapidly become unstable.
In 2017, the Health and Safety Executive reported two fatal accidents involving an ATV in agriculture; one involved a self-employed farmer driving his ATV into a gate post, and the other involved a gamekeeper overturning his ATV while shooting rabbits at night.
Many ATV-related deaths in the UK have been due to head injuries, most, if not all, of which would have been prevented by wearing a helmet. Indeed, neither of the victims in the tragic accidents described above was found to be wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.
As well as a helmet, farmers should always wear strong clothing that covers the arms and legs, sturdy footwear that provides ankle support and good wet grip, gloves to protect the hands and a visor or goggles to protect the eyes.
One of the most common causes of ATV accidents is a lack of training provided for the driver. It is actually a legal requirement for farmers to provide adequate training for their employees on how to use work equipment such as ATVs and to ensure only those who have received the training can use the equipment. The same rules apply to farmers themselves.
Fortunately, the European ATV Safety Institute (EASI) offer free, or highly subsidised, training to anyone buying a new or used ATV made by either Honda, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki, BRP or Yamaha from an authorised UK dealer. More details on ATV training courses offered by EASI can be found here.
Additionally, click here to watch a short video from Scotland’s Rural College that gives some top safety tips for using an ATV on farm.