This is a mandatory program for individuals ages 12-17 who ride their ATV's on public land or land purchased with ATV registration funds in Iowa. It is a cooperative program between the Iowa DNR and the ATV Safety Institute, a non-profit division of the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America. The course, known as the ASI ATV RiderCourse® is recognized on a national level and is known as one of the best ATV safety training programs available. The ASI ATV RiderCourse® is supported by a number of leading U.S. ATV distributors. Efforts are being made to target ATV users and prospective buyers about the safe and responsible use of ATVs. This ASI ATV course may be offered free of charge by some distributors to all individuals who purchase a new ATV including the purchaser's family members. Interested parties not eligible for free safety training can take the course for a fee of $75 for individuals 16 and under and $125 for any over 16. This fee is collected by the All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Institute and is used to maintain an active pool of instructors, providing continuing education to instructors, providing materials for coursework, and support the administration of the enrollment and record keeping systems.

The course itself is approximately 4 ½ hours in length. Students practice safety techniques, with hands-on exercises covering starting, stopping, running, negotiating hills, emergency stopping and swerving, and riding over obstacles. Particular emphasis is placed on the safety implications relating to each lesson.

The course also covers protective gear, environmental concerns and local laws. Participants receive the ATV RiderCourse® Handbook, which reinforces the safety information and riding techniques covered during the ATV RiderCourse®. These instructional materials as well as the course curriculum have been designed in consultation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

To register for the ATV RiderCourse®, contact the ASI Enrollment Express hotline at (800) 887-2887. To speak with a national representative about ATV safety, call (800) 852-5344. For more information on the ASI ATV RiderCourse® and for interactive safety information, log onto www.atvsafety.org