IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 5, 2012 – The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association is now offering its new Basic DriverCourse in Southern and Northern California, helping ROV drivers become familiar with these increasingly popular machines and learn about safe and responsible use. The DriverCourse combines the free, online ROV E-Course, plus nearly three hours of closed-range driving exercises supervised by a licensed ROHVA DriverCoach.

Click this video for a preview of the DriverCourse:

“After months of testing and development, we are rolling out the Basic DriverCourse to individuals and groups wanting to familiarize themselves with their ROVs in a controlled environment and under the guidance of a certified DriverCoach,” said Paul Vitrano, executive vice president, ROHVA. “We now have training sites at the Prairie City SVRA and Hollister Hills SVRA in Northern California, and in Irvine in Southern California. We will be adding other locations in California and across the country to meet the demand.”

Students can obtain information about and register for the DriverCourse online at rohva.org. The course costs approximately $150 per driver and a passenger can attend at no extra cost. Students must have a valid driver’s license and be at least 16 years old.

ROHVA’s additional Open Trail Experiences, which go beyond the closed-course range, are available at some locations and range from 30 minutes to more than four hours, depending on the number of lessons, location, group size and level of difficulty.

The focus of the DriverCourse is to develop driver familiarization, skills and behavior related to sensible, responsible and safe use of an ROV. Students will acquire general safety information and learn basic techniques for responsibly driving an ROV. The lessons include starting and stopping, turning, swerving and quick stops. ROHVA-certified DriverCoaches evaluate driver performance during each lesson and provide a written copy of this evaluation to each student at the end of the training.

The prerequisite ROV E-Course must be taken before attending the hands-on DriverCourse, but can also be taken by anyone interested in learning more about safe off-highway driving practices.  The free E-Course is available any time at rohva.org.

This two-hour online safety course helps develop safe driving habits but is not a learn-to-drive course. It is intended to improve awareness about ROVs and inspire a safety-minded approach to off-highway recreation. At the end of the course, users have the option of taking an ROV safety quiz.

The E-Course is an important resource for the growing community of ROV enthusiasts and reinforces:

• Key risk factors associated with ROV operation
• Safe driving practices that will reduce risk of injury
• The best resources for learning about your particular vehicle

Sometimes referred to as side-by-sides or UTVs, ROVs are motorized off-road vehicles designed to travel on four or more non-highway tires, with a steering wheel, non-straddle seating, seats and seat belts for a driver and one or more passengers, an occupant protective structure, and engine displacement up to 1,000cc. The performance and durability of ROVs make them ideally suited for a variety of outdoor recreational activities as well as many industrial and agricultural applications.

The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association was formed to promote the safe and responsible use of recreational off-highway vehicles manufactured or distributed in North America. ROHVA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop a standard for the equipment, configuration and performance requirements of ROVs. Based in Irvine, Calif., the not-for-profit trade association is sponsored by Arctic Cat, BRP, John Deere, Kawasaki, Polaris, and Yamaha.