In rural Fremont Nebraska 4-wheelers are not just for fun, most people use them heavily on their farms to help manage the land and animals.
Many kids grow up around 4-wheelers and most know how to ride them by a very young age. In cooperation with the local 4H club, 4-wheeling safety classes are given to kids to help stave off unnecessary injuries by teaching basic safety rules for riding 4-wheelers.
Under supervision, the kids learn basic safety tips such as how to lean when they turn so they don't lose their center of gravity on their 4-wheeler and tip over in the middle of a turn. Also, tips for hill climbing are reviewed so the kids know to lean forward and put their weight over the handlebars so the 4-wheeler is always front heavy on the climb up and how to lean back to their 4-wheeler is weighted correctly on the way down a hill. Other parts of the course include letting the kids turn through a serpentine, riding over bumps and hills and there is even a written test that covers safety and safe driving practices as well as a section where the kids must identify the parts of a 4-wheeler.
An event was held in August at the Saunders County Fair and the winners were selected by combining the scores on all three parts of the competition. This year 39 youngsters, ages 8 to 12, registered to compete in the junior division and 25 teens from 13 to 18 registered for the senior division.
The goal of the competition is to make sure the children are safety-conscious when riding their 4-wheelers for helping around the farms or for fun.
