ATV Adventures Ahead
Alaska Safe Riders training class 2023, Photo by Mike Buck
Contributed by Debra McGhan
Sometimes a simple thing, like wearing a proper fitting and secured helmet, can save your life. That’s what happened to 10-year-old Peyton Sliker of Talkeetna. He won his motocross style helmet while attending the Iron Dog race’s half-way banquet in Nome on February 21st 2024.
A few days later on March 3rd, Peyton was wearing the helmet while practicing on a course he and his dad built near their home. His mom, Heidi Sliker, said he’d taken off his goggles but fortunately still had the helmet on and buckled. “I was going like 20 mph and the lake was super windblown and hard crusted,” said Peyton. “I was turning a corner, hit a bump and flew off and hit the ground face first. My dad didn’t really see too much but my sister was there and she saw it.”
Fortunately for Peyton, the helmet took the majority of the impact, but he said he knew right away that he’d hurt his eye. Although he did sustain serious enough injuries to require eye surgery, he survived and is already making a full recovery and back racing. Without the helmet, the outcome could have proven fatal.
As roads and trails emerge from the snow and begin to dry, you can expect to see lots of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, side-by-sides, and other all-purpose vehicles (APVs) come out in force. Roaring engines and clouds of dust mark the start of off-highway riding season. With the vast terrain of Alaska to explore, these APVs, like snowmachines, provide some of the best ways to get out and adventure. But they have also proven to be causing an alarming number of emergency room visits.
“These vehicles are a blast to drive and ride. And you can travel a lot further into the backcountry than walking so it makes sense they would be so popular in Alaska,” said Jim Whisman, a lifelong Alaskan driver and off-road enthusiast. “Not to mention their usefulness in hauling gear and equipment to remote areas for work, hunting and recreation. In most villages these machines are a critical part of everyday life. There are more all-purpose vehicles than cars or trucks in a lot of these communities.”
Alaska Safe Riders Executive Director, Mike Buck agrees. But Buck is also quick to point out the potential danger and need for training. “Alaska has the highest rate of unintentional injuries and deaths in the nation for ATVs. The numbers are huge. And many of these injuries and fatalities could have been prevented with some basic training and safety equipment.”
According to Katherine Newel, PhD and Career Epidemiology Field Officer at the Alaska Section of Epidemiology, in her study on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Alaska, found that during 2016 through 2021 Alaska’s TBI related mortality rates were the highest in the nation and more than double the national average. With statistics like that, Buck said he cannot understand why anyone would take the risk of riding without a helmet.
“And just putting on a helmet is not enough,” said Buck. “You have to be sure you have one that fits properly and is buckled securely before you ride. And you need gloves, over the ankle boots, long pants and long sleeved shirt. Accidents involving people on ATV’s can be pretty brutal resulting in a lot of ripped skin and torn up flesh if you’re not protected.”
These accidents happen in a split-second. It doesn’t matter how long you have been riding. And young, novice riders are especially at-risk.
Karen Stewart, at age 64, was hardly a novice the day she set out alone on her ATV to look at property near her home in Valdez. She’d done this many, many times before but this day something went terribly wrong. She rolled the machine while climbing a hill and was crushed from the impact. She was found sometime later by a group of teenagers.
Even years later the ache caused from her death still haunts friends and family.Dori Dawkins McGhan was just 12-years-old when she nearly died in an ATV crash on Knik-Goose Bay road in Wasilla. She and her friend were making a quick run to the store when their machine hit a stump on the trail and flipped. “The only thing that saved me was the man who stopped when he saw the accident had medical training and knew to stabilize my neck,” said McGhan. “Otherwise I’m sure I would have died.”
Peyton, who hopes to race the Iron Dog with his dad one day, said he was sure glad he was wearing his new helmet when he crashed. He plans to tell all his friends that ride any APV, “always wear a helmet that is buckled, goggles, chest protector, all the safety gear,” he said. “It’s worth it if you like to ride because when you get hurt, you don’t get to ride.”
Before you or your children set out on any all-purpose vehicle, it’s worth your time to get some basic instruction and know the laws. “We are adding more training programs to our schedule all the time,” said Buck, “but you don’t have to wait. There are free online training classes on our website you can do right now so you’ll be ready to take a riding class in the future. And you also need to learn the laws for each community where you plan to ride.”
According to Alaska State Law, most APVs are now legal to operate on roadways that have a speed limit of under 45-miles-per-hour in towns that allow that. Not all towns do. You need to know what the restrictions are for your community.
To learn more, take an online training class, register for an upcoming class, or review state and local laws, visit https://alaskasaferiders.org
Make this summer one filled with great adventures you’ll cherish for a lifetime. Take the time to get yourself and your children informed and educated.
Sidebar: Upcoming ATV safety courses
- May 17, 2024 10am - Recreational Off-Road Vehicle training course- Free to the public with a completed on-line class certification. Location: Jim Creek, Palmer. Learn more and sign up at https://alaskasaferiders.org
- May 23, 2024 10am - Hands on ATV training course - Free to the public with a completed on-line course certification. Location: Jim Creek, Palmer. Learn more and sign up at https://alaskasaferiders.org
- June 1, 2024 - 10am - Hands on ATV training course - Location: Delta PowerSports, Delta, Jct. Free to the public with a completed on-line course certification. Learn more and sign up at https://alaskasaferiders.org
- June 1, 2024 – 1:30pm - Hands on ATV training course - Location: Delta PowerSports, Delta, Jct. Free to the public with a completed on-line course certification. Learn more and sign up at https://alaskasaferiders.org