Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council

Backgrounder

The Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council's ATV SafetyWatch Program - Like a PRO CD

The Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council (COHV) has stepped up its already extensive rider training campaigns with the introduction of the Like a PRO CD, a computer-based, interactive rider training system.

The Like a PRO CD will broaden the reach of safety training by providing riders, old and new, with a learning tool to use directly on their own computer, allowing them to study at their own rate.

The purpose of the Like a PRO CD is to prepare riders to operate their ATV in a safe and responsible manner. By showing examples of real-life riding situations on their own computer, riders can go through the steps of identifying, understanding and taking the proper action to safely handle situations they would encounter when actually riding their ATVs.

The program takes three to four hours, depending on the user's riding experience. Scenarios include proper riding strategies, stopping and turning, descending or ascending a hill, riding in winter conditions, how to carry cargo, basic maintenance and precautions when traveling in a group.

The Like a PRO CD is a key component of the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council's new ATV SafetyWatch national program, designed to raise awareness and educate Canadians of all ages and skill levels of the key skills required to ride safely and enjoy the challenging and rewarding sport of ATV riding.

As of 2004, approximately 2.5 million Canadians enjoy ATVing and 850,000 Canadians own an ATV. The sales and use of ATVs continue to grow, making public safety education more important than ever.

The production of the Like a PRO CD is a collaborative effort between the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council (COHV) and the Canada Safety Council (CSC).

The Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council, founded in 1984, is a national, non-profit, trade association that represents the responsible interests of the major ATV distributors, as well as the manufacturers, distributors and retail outlets of ATV-related products and services, and individual owners and riders of all-terrain vehicles in Canada. (www.COHV.ca)

The Canada Safety Council is a national, non-government, charitable organization dedicated to safety. Their mission is to lead in the national effort to reduce preventable deaths, injuries and economic loss in public and private places throughout Canada. CSC serves as a credible, reliable resource for safety information, education and awareness in all aspects of Canadian life - in traffic, at home, at work and at leisure. (www.safety-council.org)

These two organizations share a common goal when it comes to ATV safety. For COHV, the purpose of its communication initiatives and programs is to provide the people who ride ATVs with accessible information that helps them be responsible riders while enjoying a safe ride. The CSC is the premier organization in Canada for ATV training with the COHV-supported ATV Rider Course. The CSC also provides other safety education programs and materials to the public.

The Like a PRO CD is available by calling the COHV or the CSC, or ordering it on the websites.