OHV SAFETY WEEK - SHARE THE TRAIL - Watch for Two-Way Traffic

WATCH FOR 2-WAY TRAFFIC ON ROADS/TRAILS

Shasta Trinity National Forest

QWR wants to encourage OHV enthusiasts in CA to support the 2024 “SHARE THE TRAIL” themed Spring OHV Safety Week that is running March 23-31.  The educational goal for this event is to help new owners of OHVs better understand the responsibility they have to drive in a safe manner since there is often two-way traffic on public land roads and trails.

 

LINK TO SHARE THE TRAIL SAFETY WEEK NEWS RELEASE

https://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/1258

 

 

The foundation for this ongoing State Park safety week program was developed by the California State Parks’ Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division and partners after robust discussions on current OHV safety issues at the August 2022 OHV Safety Summit held at the McClellan Training Center in Sacramento.

Is there another vehicle coming around this corner?

M10 - Grindstone Ranger District, Mendocino NF

 That conference was attended by various key state and federal agency representatives, powersports industry leads, major OHV organizations, ROV/UTV trainers, motorized media outlets, law enforcement, competition event organizers, and educational non-profits.

 

 

The primary focus was on improving/updating safety efforts to address the rapid growth of ROV/UTV/SxS use on public lands.  That inaugural summit was successful as the group subsequently planted the “safety standard” in the ground and resolved to improve safety education to reduce impacts to natural resources and other user groups.

Be Aware of other OHVs

 

Don Amador, QWR President and ROHVA Driver Coach, states, “I am glad to see the California Department of Parks and Recreation and OHMVR Division continue these key OHV safety programs.   As a ROHVA driver coach, I have seen the importance of SxS owners enhancing their driving skills and also learning about the use of proper safety gear.”  

 

“What makes these OHV safety programs so important is that many new operators have very little if any driving experience on public land roads and trails.  Often they are not aware there could be other vehicles using the same route and meeting another vehicle coming around a blind corner could be a safety hazard which is what makes these outreach programs so important.”  Amador concludes.

 

QWR believes it is important for the greater OHV community to “share” this important safety and responsible use message with our riding network and those new to the sport.

 

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Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 years. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.  Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing LLC. Don serves as the Western States Representative for the Motorcycle Industry Council. Don is Past President/CEO and current board member of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance. Don served as a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition from 1996 until June, 2018. Don served on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from 1994-2000. He has won numerous awards including being a 2016 Inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the 2018 Friend of the AMA Award. Don served as the government affairs lead for AMA District 36 in Northern California from 2019 – 2023. Don is a Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino.  Don is a contributor to Dealernews Magazine