Wow, that’s amazing! It sounds like you are a far more skilled and aggressive rider than me. I’ve heard of people racing UTVs, many times rolling over. Obviously there are a lot of different styles of riding UTVs, some of which are more likely than others to roll over. I imagine that the more experienced one gets at riding aggressively, the better you get at remembering how to handle a roll over. Wouldn’t you agree?
I only got interested in four wheeling after spending some time with my sister trail riding on horses. I loved the trails, but hated horseback riding. (Talk about being uncomfortable!)
I felt a lot safer riding an ATV because it seemed easier to control a machine than a horse. So I am an extremely conservative rider. I have to admit that I had no formal training and didn’t have any business riding a horse. But I learned pretty quickly that I don’t have absolute control over a machine either.
After 5 years of riding a quad, and 4 months of riding in the Ozarks (good God! the trails are soooo challenging here!) I finally broke down and decided to get a UTV. Lots of folks told me that they are much safer than a quad, but I did a little research and I’m not at all convinced that’s true. I’m not going to fool myself by thinking that anything, including a shoulder bolster is gonna remove any chance of getting injured while four wheeling. I just want to be able to relax and enjoy riding the trails here without constantly having to decide whether or not I have the necessary level of skill to negotiate my quad through every steep and rocky stretch that I encounter. Taking every precaution to protect me in the event of an accident really helps me enjoy riding more. Riding here in Arkansas is sooooo much easier in the Wolverine, but STILL rather dangerous.
I hear what you’re saying about preparedness, and it’s a GREAT idea that I hadn’t thought of before. I’ll definitely do some self training on my reactions to rolling over. I’ll also be shopping for harnesses as soon as I’ve got the shoulder bolsters. Not sure whether or not I’ll get them, but definitely want to look into it. Got any information you can share about 3 point versus 4 point seat belts?
Thanks