Kea Norrell-Aitch, Michigan State University Extension -
An introduction to all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety practices and age requirements in Michigan.
All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are off-road motorized vehicles that can ride on various trails and dirt roads. They have steering handlebars and three or four large, low pressure, heavy duty tires, although production of three-wheel ATVs stopped in 1988 due to safety issues. ATV tires are durable and built to get maximum traction. While ATVs are much smaller than cars, they still weigh about 800 pounds, which puts them in the range of a large motorcycle.
You need a driver’s license to drive a motorcycle, but you do not need a driver’s license to operate an ATV. ATVs are more accessible and popular with children and teenagers because you do not need a driver’s licenses. Children as young as 6 years old are riding ATVs, which can be very dangerous.
It is important parents and adults understand that children should be educated about the risks and precautions that go along with riding an ATV. ATV education is a way to decrease accidents and increase safe riding practices. Each state has its own laws and age restrictions for riding ATVs. In Michigan, there is a safety education requirement if you are under 16 years old and will be riding on trails or private land. Also, in Michigan no child under the age of 10 may operate an ATV except on private property while performing farm-related tasks.
In Michigan:
Children 10 and 11 years old may operate a four-wheel ATV only when all of the following conditions are met:
Children 12 to 15 years old may operate a four-wheel ATV only when both of the following conditions are met.
Michigan State University Extension’s 4-H Youth Development offers personal safety ATV workshops to educate youth and give them safe ATV riding practices. These workshops are perfect for youth ages 12-16, but do not replace the required ORV safety certificate. The first 4-H ATV Safety Workshop will take place on May 14, 2016, in Sanilac County. Check the MSU Extension Events page for more MSU Extension events in your area.
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension.
For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
Amateur race results can be found HERE.
ATV National results can be found HERE.
Most of our regular amateur races are AMA and District 14 sanctioned. Unless otherwise noted in the event details, all riders must be AMA members; all Michigan residents must be District 14 members.
JOIN OR RENEW AMA ONLINE! New member? You’ll get an AMA number right away. AMA members can register and fill out eWaivers for our races this year.
JOIN OR RENEW DISTRICT 14 ONLINE! Bring your printed receipt or just show us on your phone.
Three ways to handle the required Minor Consent form:
If a parent will be at the track, you don’t need the form notarized!
AMA Rules – District 14 Rules
District 14 Classes
Note: In addition to the D14 classes, we typically offer the following non-points Beginner classes. On the big track: Open D. On the 50 track: 50cc Wobbler, 65cc Beginner, 85cc Beginner. If the 50cc Open class is racing on the big track, we’ll also offer a 50cc Open Non-Points on the 50 track.
For youth classes, your age on January 1 applies for the whole year. For example, a 15-year-old who turns 16 on March 1 can still race the 85 12-15 class for the entire season (because he was 15 on January 1). We’d consider him “AMA 15”.
However, once you move up to the next age level class, you cannot move back down. Example: If a 6-year-old enters the 50cc 7-8 year old class, she is then considered Age 7 and cannot go back to a 6-year-old class.
For Vet classes, your age on race day applies. You can ride a class as soon as you become eligible, but not before.
Please check each race weekend’s link to be sure ATVs classes are offered! There are no ATV classes at Area or Regional Qualifiers or at the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross weekend in July. In addition, we don’t have ATV classes when an ATV State Championship event is happening at another Michigan track.
For regular district races at RedBud, mini quads race on the 50 track, and there’s one combined moto for Schoolboy and up classes on the big track.
See the District 14 ATV page for classes and rules.
Articles
18 Mar
Today quite confidently came and walks all over the country such kind of active recreation as quad biking.
To make riding an all-terrain vehicle even more attractive, companies began to organize various kinds of competitions and races. In fact, the idea of racing and competition immediately attracted many fans of outdoor activities. These events are held both between professional athletes and amateurs. Everyone can take part in a very exciting all-terrain vehicle race. A four-wheeled race will give you a storm of emotions and will definitely not leave you indifferent to this sport.
ATV Racing
ATVs are such versatile vehicles that you can master them in minutes. If you have no experience in driving an all-terrain vehicle, you will be given a short briefing, as well as a few test runs with you. Thus, in an hour you will already be doing great off-road with this vehicle. Moreover, it is absolutely not necessary to have a driver's license for competitions or races. In this regard, races can also be held for the smallest extreme sportsmen, of course, on the appropriate ATVs.
Children over the age of 16 are allowed to ride adult quads.
Quad bike stunts
Quad bike competitions can be held both in speed over obstacles and in performing certain tricks. Any of these types of championships will be exciting and very memorable. For the safety of conducting competitions in high-speed overcoming of obstacles, the participants of the race start one after another with a time interval or from different sections of the track. When performing tricks, the correctness of the performance and complexity are evaluated. By holding such events, the organizers secure themselves, and a team of medical staff is on duty. If you are not confident in your skills, then the best option is to practice a little more, because you can create an emergency in which you can drag someone else. Therefore, you can just go out of town and spend some time acquiring skills to overcome obstacles, and then go and try your hand at the championship.
Championships are held with different meanings. The very initial stage is city competitions, then regional, regional, national championships, etc. As you can see, quad racing is common enough at various levels that there is something to strive for.
Quad bikes for racing
It happens that the desire is just a fountain, but the funds do not allow you to purchase a personal quad bike. For this, there is an ATV rental, and this is very popular. The convenience and popularity of rental outlets is as follows: there is no need to buy your own ATV, the company takes care of refueling and repairing the motorcycle device, you do not need to waste time looking for a race track (the rental company will do this), you do not need to get rights, because the race will take place on a special closed track . Such services are very convenient, since all the above advantages of rental companies can also be attributed to the fact that they deliver equipment to the place of the championship or competition themselves.
These companies have another feature. If you don't have quad experience, they will provide you with a beginner level course.
It can be seen that this sport is very popular, and the company can take care of all the minimal organizational difficulties.
Active route - for those who like it harder!
For those who love to learn something new every day and cannot imagine their life without overcoming difficulties, we offer route Active . During the passage of the route you will find serious mud, swampy streams, boulders and fallen trees. Perhaps you will get stuck in a muddy hole a couple of times, and in order to continue the trip, you will need: a shovel, logs, faithful comrades and, of course, the help of an experienced instructor.
We will try to reach the high coastal ledge of the Finnish defensive line Vammelsuu-Taipale. To this day, coils of barbed wire, trenches, concrete shelters, and a line of anti-tank gouges have been preserved on the mountain. The locals call this place “Mountain of Death”. Active route is a real adventure for self-confident men!
We work on the basis of two comfortable hotels in the Kurortny district of the Leningrad region. This is a great opportunity to spend outdoor activities in comfortable conditions, learn and see something new and test your strength in driving a powerful car!
The active route lasts 2-3 hours. Its duration depends on the season and your skill. ATV rental is open daily. Call!
In the cult film “Irony of Fate or Enjoy Your Bath!” one of the heroes complained: “How boring we live! We lost the spirit of adventurism, we stopped climbing into the windows of our beloved women, we stopped doing big good stupid things!” At that time, there were really few opportunities for interesting leisure.
But, today there are so many that it is sometimes difficult to make a choice.
You always prefer beach vacation options — active leisure ? Do you like vacation outside the city , nature trips, excursions? Then we have a great option for you, combining all of the above, and even with the addition of some extreme and adventure. Informative, interesting leisure and exciting sports!
This is not just an active holiday. For quad biking, on the one hand, you need special tracks that combine all the qualities of a motorsport track: with turns, climbs, descents and difficult sections, and on the other hand, beautiful natural landscapes and historical monuments. And we provide these routes to our clients in one of the most beautiful districts of the Leningrad region.
This is both an exciting sport that makes you feel like a real extreme racing driver, and an interesting vacation that gives you unforgettable emotions!
This is an opportunity to spend holidays outside the city with health benefits in winter and summer, in any weather.
