Charlotte, North Carolina is the biggest city in the state, but that doesn’t mean it is easy to get out into the forests and countryside to ride your new ATV. However, if you are going to make this a regular hobby, make sure you have taken the proper precautions to protect your expensive new toy and yourself as you ride your four wheeler around the wilds of North Carolina.

TAKE IT SLOW AND PRACTICE FIRST

Don’t just throw yourself into the fire so to speak when you start riding your ATV. Find a flat field or large patch of dirt and learn how your ATV rides. Practice turning, accelerating, braking—all of the techniques you will be using regularly when you are riding down trails in the middle of the forest. The more familiar you are with these basic riding techniques, the less of a chance you will have an accident, hurting yourself or your ATV.

ALWAYS RIDE WITH SOMEONE ELSE

Make sure you’re not setting out all by yourself on your ATV, especially when you are first learning how to really ride. Another ATV rider with their own vehicle should be with you, so that if there is an accident and someone is hurt, or one of the ATVs has a mechanical failure, you won’t be stranded in the middle of nowhere. Cell phones aren’t enough here, because reception is often spotty in these back country ATV riding areas. So convince a buddy to come along every time you go riding.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE PROPERLY INSURED

The chances of you having an accident of some kind on your ATV when you first start riding is usually pretty high. So you will want to make sure you and your all terrain vehicle are properly insured so that the damage caused by whatever accident happens isn’t also damaging your pocketbook. Check with a company like Jim Boyce Insurance, who serves the greater Charlotte area, for an ATV rider’s policy that works for your needs.