RideSafe and Nationwide: Teaming up for ATV and UTV safety
The vivid and devastating memory of her 11-year-old nephew’s fatal ATV crash continues to profoundly impact RideSafe Foundation Co-founder and Executive Director, Kristen Almer. It’s why Almer and her organization are collaborating with Nationwide to broaden their efforts in educating and raising awareness of ATV/UTV risks and safety measures.
“That’s not something any mother, father or any family member should ever have to experience, arriving at the scene of an accident where a child’s life ended,” said Almer of her family’s loss. “That’s really where the RideSafe Foundation began. The question is not whether the risk around ATV/UTVs exists. The question is what can we do to mitigate that risk?”
Doing that starts by acknowledging these risks, building a culture of safety and reminding everyone of the steps they must take to stay safe on these useful yet increasingly powerful machines.
“You should always prioritize safety on an ATV or UTV. A strong safety culture ensures everyone knows both the rules and laws as well as the safety fundamentals,” said Nationwide Agribusiness Vice President Dirk Pollitt. “That’s why we launched Let’s Champion Rider Safety® and are collaborating with the RideSafe Foundation to make sure everyone knows the right precautions to take before stepping foot on an ATV or UTV.”
The inspiration for the RideSafe Foundation
It’s something no family should experience, but it happened to Kristen Almer’s family when her nephew found his way onto an adult-sized ATV. Almer now leads an organization dedicated to reducing injuries and fatalities by sharing the known factors that contribute to these preventable incidents and encouraging families to always wear proper gear and obtain safety certification before operating powersports equipment. It’s the main mission of the RideSafe Foundation.
Gratitude after a painful UTV accident
Nationwide Casualty Claims Manager Jennifer Johnston’s daughter, Grace, was injured after rolling a UTV on the family farm. After almost a month in the hospital and multiple surgeries, Grace is grateful her injuries weren’t worse. The incident serves as a reminder of the hazards of ATV/UTVs.
The many scars left by ATV/UTV accidents
Nationwide Underwriter Christi Lowry wasn’t always comfortable with ATV/UTVs. But to her family, they’ve long been major parts of outdoor recreation around the family farm. When her son rolled an ATV, he walked away with relatively minor injuries because he was wearing protective equipment.
"I thought I lost him"
Safety is always top-of-mind when Nationwide Powersports Product Manager David Russell rides an off-road vehicle. But accidents happen, and recollections of when his son — who was wearing full protective equipment — wrecked an ATV at age 12 are still fresh in Russell’s mind years later.
No bending the safety rules on this family farm
Never ride alone, always wear your safety belt and make sure you have the right protective gear. These are just a few of the ATV/UTV safety rules on Nationwide Senior Consultant Erin Cumings’ family farm for her daughter and friends when they use these machines.
Educating youth on safety in our local communities
Nationwide partnered with the RideSafe Foundation to hold safety events at three schools in central Iowa training approximately 2000 kids from K - 12 grade. They learned about how to ride safely and were fitted with helmets properly.
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