While ATV and off-road vehicle sales continue to climb, the Saint John Police Force is reminding the public about some of the dangers of using an ATV ahead of the summer riding season.
According to police, 51 per cent of ATV-related fatalities included alcohol from 2013 to 2019. Police in Saint John say riding on unfit terrain and not wearing a helmet have each made up 33 per cent of fatalities.
“It is a requirement under the Off-Road Vehicle Act to wear a helmet that complies with the standards of the Motor Vehicle Act,” said Staff Sgt. Sean Rocca from the Saint John Police Force.
“So you do have to wear an approved helmet.”
With the use of legalized cannabis growing, Rocca told Global News that riding high will have the same consequences as driving any other motor vehicle.
According to the Saint John ATV Club, there are roughly 60,000 registered ATVs in the province, with nearly 20,000 with trail passes.
The club has seen a significant rise in ATV users on the trails since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s exploding,” said Doug Godfrey, the president of the Saint John ATV Club.
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“We’re seeing more side-by-side out there, the four-seaters, because now they can bring their family and were trying to make it a family-oriented experience.”
The group recently finished the winter season of riding, using a groomer that the club recently purchased.
They plan on combing the trails for the summer riding season, which they expect to be as steady as last year.
That steadiness is partly due to local stores seeing an increase in sales over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People’s priorities really shifted during COVID, and this industry benefited from that,” said Matt Francis, manager of The Power Store in Saint John.
“So the trick for us is to get people into the hobby and keep growing it.”
He said that embracing the words “I don’t know” when looking to purchase a new all-terrain vehicle is key in buying a new vehicle.
Francis, like others, noted that Saint John has a four-season playground, and with the summer season soon ready to begin, it will open the doors to a busy year.
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