ATV use is up in Iowa

Tempted to spend your rebate check on a down payment for an ATV? Sales of the four-wheel recreational vehicles are up 176 percent in Iowa over the last five years, according to manufacturers. But don’t just jump on board. The DNR’s Tony Toiga says for young riders, safety training is required.Kids 12-15 need a certificate and must be supervised by adults; 15, 16, 17 and 18-year-old riders just need the certificate. Toiga says that certificate is earned by taking hands-on courses in operating an ATV.The All-Terrain-Vehicle Safety Institute offers safety courses, and nine or ten instructors throughout the state give them on weekends. Ask an A-T-V dealer where to find a training class, or call the ASI’s toll-free hotline.at 1-800-887-2887. No figures are available on just how many kids have taken the courses, but there are 20-thousand licensed four-wheelers in Iowa.