Pamela Ardern, State 4-H Program Leader, presented this at CPSC's ATV Safety Summit Oct. 12, 2012. ATV Training: Reaching the Next Generation: My name is Pamela Ardern and I serve as the South Carolina State 4-H Program Leader - Clemson University Cooperative Extension. I have been with the university for 28 years and I'm currently working with others across the state to address ATV Safety. 4-H, the youth development program of the Land-Grant University system, has been directly involved in ATV safety education since the mid 1980’s. 4-H has partnered with the ATV Safety Institute and others to deliver sustainable community based education programs. These programs utilize the hands-on ASI RiderCourse, the online ASI E-Course, nationally developed 4-H ATV safety curriculum and other educational resources to train educators and volunteers to deliver ATV safety education to youth. 4-H ATV safety provides structured learning, encouragement and adult mentoring of youth, which plays a vital role in helping youth gain decision-making skills around risky behaviors and riding ATVs safely. 4-H is establishing cohesive and committed state-level teams and partnerships that can accomplish more than just one or two individuals or a single organization. By having large and diverse partnerships representing a wide array of interests, 4-H brings more perspectives to address ATV safety, provide more resources, generate more ideas, and create positive approaches.

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4-H ATV Safety Education
Pamela B. Ardern
SC State 4-H Program Leader
Clemson Cooperative Extension
pardern@clemson.edu

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4-H ATV Safety
Education
Current Situation
Why?
• Part of National 4-H Healthy Living mission mandate of
Personal Safety.
• 25+ years promoting ATV safety awareness to 18+
million: workshops, exhibits, fairs, community events,
school health and PE classes, after school, clubs, and
through media efforts.
• 34% of rural households own or operate ATVs for farm
use and recreation.
• Many 4-H families own and operate ATVs as well as the
general public.

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4-H ATV Safety
Education
CPSC Statistics
• 1982-2009 (27 years) - 10,281 reported deaths.
• 376 deaths one year, 2009.
• 1982-2009, 26% of deaths (2,674), younger than 16, 43% (1,140),
under age 12.
•In 2009, 131,900 injuries reported; 32,400 younger than 16.
Successful prevention is behavioral change resulting in
absence of injury

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4-H ATV Safety
Education
Why 4-H is Involved
To reduce and prevent ATV related injury and
mortality through Community ATV Safety
Education and State 4-H Facilitated ASI ATV
RiderCourse Initiatives.
Situation:
Responsible use of
ATVs leads to lower incidences
of rider injury and mortality.

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Goals 4-H ATV Safety
• Educate and inform pre-teen, teen, and adult ATV
riders about safe riding techniques and practices.
• Help pre-teens and teens increase critical thinking
and life skills and enhance their abilities to assess risk
and solve problems regarding the use of ATVs by
youth under the age of 16 years.
• Educate parents and other caregivers to protect
young riders through supervision and monitoring.
• Help communities address issues related to safe use
of ATVs.

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Purpose of 4-H ATV Safety
Reduce ATV related injuries and fatalities of youth
and adults by changing behavior in the following
risk factor areas:
• Not wearing a helmet and other protective gear.
• Carrying passengers on ATVs not designed for
more than one person.
• Operating/riding on pavement.
• Operating/riding on or alongside of the road.
• Operating/riding an ATV that is an appropriate
size and power.

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4-H ATV Safety
Education

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4-H ATV Safety Education
4-H is Focused on
Personal Safety

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Experiential Learning Model
1
EXPERIENCE
the activity,
perform, do it
5 2
APPLY SHARE
what was learned the results,
to a similar or reactions, and
different situation; observations
practice publicly
3
4
PROCESS
GENERALIZE by discussing,
to connect the
looking at the
experience to
experience;
real world
analyze, reflect
examples

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4-H Facilitated ASI ATV RiderCourse Outputs
2008 – Present
The ATV Safety Institute ATV
RiderCourse is a hands-on half-day
program conducted by licensed ATV
Safety Institute Instructors.

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4-H Facilitated ATV Safety
Community Education Outputs 2005 - 2011
125,000+
Participants in ATV Safety
awareness activities:
Schools, camps, etc.
8,000
Train-the-trainers taught
ATV Safety with 4-H ATV Safety
Leader’s Guide activities
700
Adult/Youth Educators and
Volunteers trained as ATV Safety
Education Facilitators 4-H has been directly involved in ATV
safety education since the mid 1980’s
through community based education
programs that utilize the nationally
developed 4-H ATV safety curriculum
and other educational resources to
train educators and volunteers.

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Action Plans:
• Provide ATV Rider Course Trainings
Action 1
• Teach Youth 2-Hour ATV Safety Awareness Programs
Action 2
• Youth Participate in ATV Safety E – Course Programs
Action 3
• Youth Participate in TREADSYLVANIA On Line Game
Action 4
• Youth Participate in ASI ATV PSA Safety Contest – “Do The Ride Thing”
Action 5

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OK and AR 4-H – ASI ATV
RiderCourse Instructors

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National 4-H Website
www.atv-youth.org
Individual State Websites

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4-H ATV Safety Educational Resources
ATV Safety ATV Safety
Leader’s Guide Community-Based
Collaboration Guide

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4-H ATV Rider Tips Posters

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ASI ATV Safety Educational Resources
ASI ATV
Safety E-Course
ASI ATV ASI ATV
Rider Handbook Safety Guides

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AR Children’s Hospital
ATV Safety Educational Resources
A Trip Unplanned
ATV Vehicle Safety
An ATV Safety Story DVD
“Every Ride Every Time”
Facilitators Discussion Guide

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4-H ATV Safety
Pamela B. Ardern
South Carolina 4-H Program Leader
Clemson Cooperative Extension
pardern@clemson.edu