By Journal Gazette
Fort Wayne,
IN
Fort Wayne
- The Indiana Department of Natural Resources' divisions of law enforcement and
outdoor recreation are cooperating to offer an online all-terrain vehicle
safety course.
ATVs and other off-road vehicles have increased in
popularity over the past decade, but so have accidents. DNR reports that ATV
accidents have increased nearly 40 percent over the past four years, from 153
in 2008 to 214 last year.
"The online safety course will educate people on the safety
rules of riding, using and operating an ATV," said Lt. Larry Morrison, head of
the DNR law enforcement division's outdoor education program.
The online course presents a wide variety of information on
the basics of ATVs, safe operation of ATVs, and responsibilities of riders to
others and the environment, and general information on preparing for the
unexpected.
The online course can be found at offroad-ed.com/in/index.htm and
can be studied at a personal pace. Participants are assessed a $30 fee before
beginning the certification test. Those who successfully complete the test are
issued a lifetime certification card.
"This certification ensures that the operator is well educated
and has learned how to safely operate an ATV, which is the first step in
reducing the number of ATV accidents in Indiana,"
said Dale Brier, chief of the DNR outdoor recreation division's streams and
trails section.
