For the most part, when you buy a dirt bike, UTV, or ATV, you're given a quick tutorial on how to operate the machine and then just sent out into the wild without anything else. And for many, that's all the learnin' they'll do before they hit the trails and start making poor decisions.
To me, it's not enough.
When it comes to safely accessing public lands, off-highway trails, or any other sort of trails you have access to, the more you know the better you'll be. As will the trails themselves, the wildlife you encounter, and your own health and safety. It's why, though many are against government overreach, I'm pretty bullish on Arizona's new law that mandates an OHV safety course if you want to register your off-highway vehicle.
It's not a lot, but it's something, which is more than most states require.
According to KTAR News, "Starting Jan. 1, at least one owner of an OHV will be required to complete a 10-minute video and 20 multiple-choice questions before registrations or decal renewals." This course will be required of anyone with an ATV, UTV, dirt bike or any other OHV that was "designed, modified or built primarily for recreational all-terrain usage." So your average all-terrain vehicle is part of this new law.
The course is free for all, which is good, and is already open to the public via the state's AZMVDNOW.gov website. That, however, is only for residents. Non-residents will also be required to take the course, though they can access it via AZGFD.gov.
Now here's where I get into the not-so-great aspect of this whole thing. Anything that's only 10 minutes long, followed by an open-book 20 question test, isn't going to lead to dramatically better outcomes than not doing anything. It may help someone understand they shouldn't start their own trail across land that's important wildlife habitat, but it's not going to seriously affect the safety of those operators long-term.
I know folks have opinions about government mandates and laws, but stricter enforcement and possibly better tutelage have been shown to produce better riders and drivers. It could help here.
But hey, at least it's something.
