Side-by-Side Safety Riding Tips

Riding a powersports vehicle like a side-by-side is not something that should be undertaken lightly. After all, you’re exposed to the open air and you’re going to be traveling over pretty difficult terrain. It pays to be protected and to do everything you can to ensure the safety of you and your passengers.

Polaris® of Gainesville, located in Alachua, Florida, is proud to be your local side-by-side dealer. In order to help our customers stay safe out there while riding their powersports vehicles, we’ve provided the following list of safety tips.

Gear Up

The first step to good side-by-side safety is ensuring that you have and are wearing the right gear. Every rider in your vehicle should be wearing a well-fitting helmet with a high crash-test rating. Either a motocross or motorcycle helmet will do. If your helmet doesn’t have a full face mask, invest in a pair of goggles for eye protection from flying debris and dust.

You should also wear riding gloves with good grip, ankle boots with good traction and long sleeves and pants made from a sturdy fabric. All of your passengers should be similarly attired. Younger riders may need to wear chest plates or other extra protection.

Pack Your Side-By-Side

You should also make sure that your side-by-side is packed with all the supplies you might need on your ride. This includes your cell phone with charger, an emergency radio, a tool kit, a first-aid kit, a spare tire, signal flares, a GPS, food, water, sunscreen and any other items you might need. Being ready to deal with any emergency will help keep you and your passengers safe.

Keep Your Vehicle Maintained

A poorly-maintained UTV is a vehicle that’s not going to perform very well on the track or while off-roading, which can put you and your passengers in great danger. A tire blowout is hazardous enough on paved roads, but imagine it happening on a rocky hill! That’s why keeping your side-by-side in good repair is so important to your safety.

Make sure that you’re checking tire pressure and oil condition before every ride as well as filling up your tank with gas. Test your brakes as well to see that they function correctly. If, during a test ride, you hear any grinding or unusual sounds, you may want to contact the service department here at Polaris® of Gainesville so that you can make an appointment with our team of professional mechanics to get it checked out. Remember that we’re always here to help you keep your side-by-side in peak condition!

Follow Established Rules

When riding on a trail, you’ll need to be sure that you’re following basic safety rules in addition to any posted guidelines. For example, there may be speed limits posted as well as areas that are off-limits to your vehicle. Never try to go off an established path, since you could do real damage to the surrounding environment, in addition to putting yourself at risk of hitting an unforeseen obstacle.

Always ride sober! If you’re taking any prescription medications that may hamper your ability to operate heavy machinery like a side-by-side, talk to your doctor to determine whether it’s safe for you to operate the vehicle. Ride in good weather conditions and during daylight hours. Don’t push yourself or take undue risks that could put you, your passengers or your vehicle in jeopardy.

We hope these tips help ensure you have a great time riding your side-by-side, whether for work or recreational purposes. Come by our Alachua dealership to check out our full selection of new and used side-by-sides for sale. We offer financing options to help you with your purchase. Polaris® of Gainesville proudly serves the cities of Lake City and St. Augustine, Florida.