Dubois County youth invited to free ATV safety training in Ferdinand

Dubois County families had a free, two-hour ATV safety session at the Ferdinand Community Center on June 20, giving young riders a chance to learn the rules before summer riding picked up across farms, fields and back roads. The class ran from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 1710 Community Drive and was limited to Dubois County boys and girls ages 6 to 18.

The Dubois County Health Department organized the training with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Forest Park FFA. The health department said it was “excited to bring back” the DNR ATV Safety Training, a sign that local organizers saw enough demand to revive the program for county families.

The session focused on three basics: Indiana law, vehicle operation and general safety information. Participants were also offered a free ATV helmet, a practical incentive for parents and young riders at a time when safety gear is often the first thing skipped and the easiest thing to overlook.

The timing mattered because Indiana’s helmet law already sets a clear rule for children. Since July 1, 2017, all children under 18 have been required to wear a helmet on or in any off-road vehicle, including ATVs, UTVs, side-by-sides and dirt bikes, on both public and private property. For Dubois County families sending children into an activity that mixes recreation with property work, the class tied that law to day-to-day riding habits.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission backs the same approach, recommending hands-on training from a qualified instructor, helmets and other protective gear for ATV riders. The commission also says riders younger than 16 should use age-appropriate youth models rather than adult machines, another point that fits the event’s youth-only age range.

Registration was required by June 15, and the county health department listed Mary Peters as the contact for questions at mrpeters@duboiscountyin.org or 812-481-7050. For parents balancing summer schedules, the Ferdinand session offered a no-cost chance to lock in the basics: how to ride legally, how to stay protected and how to keep young riders on equipment sized for them.