UTVs, Safety, and You

Hitting the off road with a UTV can be a great deal of fun, but you want to make sure to stay safe while you are doing it, and Sky Powersports Lakeland is here to help make sure you stay safe and keep on riding.

Proper Gear

First thing’s first, make sure you’ve got the right gear before you head out and ride. Long sleeve shirt, long pants, sturdy boots, riding gloves, helmet (¾ or full face), and goggles will all keep you safe while you ride. While hot days may seem like a great time to throw on a tank top and hit the trail, long sleeves and pants will protect you from flying debris. Also, it’s important to be dressed for hiking, because if disaster strikes you may be walking back to help.

When you’re picking out a helmet a good fit should be your first priority. Your helmet should fit snugly so there’s no wobble when you move your head, but it shouldn’t be so tight that it pinches your head. Goggles are great even if you have a full face helmet, (just in case you need to ride with your visor up). Like your helmet, a comfortable snug fit should be your first priority, but having some good anti-fog utility will also be nice when you get out on the trail.

Riding Safe

Riding Safely is mostly about sticking to the realm of common sense, so here’s one piece for you: Ride sober! Just because the highway patrol doesn’t watch the trails doesn’t mean you (and your companions) can’t get seriously hurt if you ride under the influence. Be smart, save the brews for around the campfire.

Our second helping of common sense is: Stay in designated riding areas! It can be tempting to fly off into the unknown, but here are two good reasons not to: First, you can get yourself stuck in a situation you can’t unstick from. You THOUGHT that was a quiet little glade, turns out it was a pond with about 4 feet of ATV eating mud at the bottom. Second: Riding out of designated areas is obvious and will lead others to do the same. When you start wearing down a new trail, others will follow just for the sake of exploration, and this can lead land managers to shut down a riding area for recovery, so keep things where they’re supposed to be.

The Right Side by Side

The UTV you’re using can make a big difference in your safety and your comfort. Sure you CAN head out in a side by side equipped with paddle tires on the trail, but it’s going to be a bumpy ride, and you’re going to ruin those tires in no time. Likewise, getting your UTV out on the dunes when it’s outfitted for trail riding CAN work, but it’s not as safe or smart as getting things set up for success. If you’re taking your side by side out of your normal riding environment, come in and see us about equipping your UTV with the parts and accessories to keep you safe and successful wherever you ride.

Sky Powersports Lakeland is fully stocked with the riding safety gear that you need to make sure you have a great ride, just stop on by our dealership and one of our associates will help you find the right fit.