Fun, Free Training Program Stresses Safe Responsible Driving

The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association has created a series of new online banner ads to spread the word about its free online safety courses at rohva.org.

The banner ads come in a variety of sizes, with various messages and are available free to retailers, manufacturers, distributors, off-road clubs, media and others interested in side-by-side safety. They are designed to be posted on websites and link to the ROHVA online E-Course registration page.

The new ROHVA E-Course is the first formalized educational resource for the growing community of ROV drivers. It reinforces safety messages, responsibilities and identifies:

• Key risk factors surrounding ROV driving
• Safe driving practices designed to reduce your risk of injury
• The best resources for learning to operate particular vehicle models

“ROHVA’s new free E-Course is worth a visit, not only because of the vital information on safe and responsible use,” said Paul Vitrano, executive vice president of the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association. “It’s a great looking, quality online production with a lot of interaction, images and video that make it fun and brings the ROV experience to life. We hope the banner ads are used on a variety of influential websites and help generate some good traffic for a great resource useful to both beginning and experienced drivers.”

While not a “learn to drive course,” the two-hour online program helps develop safe driving habits. Users can save their progress and stop at any time to pick up later where they left off. At the end of the course users have the option to take an ROV safety quiz to test their knowledge.

Drivers were doing something dangerous, warned against in owner manuals, in 98 percent of all crashes, a recent study revealed. These warned-against behaviors include doing stunts, riding at excessive speeds, riding on paved roads, using alcohol or drugs while driving, improper seating of passengers, failing to wear a helmet and failing to wear a seat belt.

The study also found that 23 percent of crashes involved drivers under the recommended age. ROHVA recommends that no one should operate an ROV unless they are 16 or older and have a valid driver’s license. The ROV E-Course is not intended for children because kids should not drive ROVs.

As highlighted in the E-Course, ROHVA urges enthusiasts to follow the ROV Safety Rules to ensure the safety of drivers, passengers and everyone else.

1. Always wear a helmet and other protective gear, use the seat belts, and keep all parts of your body inside the ROV.
2. Never drive on paved roads except to cross when done safely and permitted by law. ROVs are designed to be operated off-highway.
3. Drive only in designated areas, at a safe speed, and use care when turning and crossing slopes.
4. Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
5. Never drive an ROV unless you’re 16 or older and have a valid driver’s license. ROVs are not toys.
6. Never carry more passengers than the ROV is designed for, and never allow a passenger who is too small to sit in a passenger seat to ride in the ROV.
7. Read and follow the operator’s manual and warning labels.

Recreational Off-highway Vehicles are designed to travel on four or more non-highway tires, with a steering wheel, non-straddle seating, seat belts, occupant-protective structure, and an engine displacement up to 1,000cc. Sometimes referred to as side-by-sides or utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), current ROV models are designed with seats for a driver and one or more passengers and are used for a variety of outdoor recreational purposes as well as many work applications.

ROHVA

The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association is a national industry organization that promotes the safe and responsible use of ROVs. ROHVA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop equipment, configuration and performance standards. Based in Irvine, Calif., the not-for-profit association is sponsored by Arctic Cat, BRP, Polaris and Yamaha. For more information visit www.rohva.org.