A new crew of volunteer trail stewards is educating people about responsible trail behavior for off-highway vehicles in the tiny community of Washington, east of Nevada City.
Led by Washington Fire Chief Mike Stewart and the Washington Off-Highway-Vehicle Working Group, the volunteers are handing out bandanas and water bottles with safety tips.
The new Trail Stewards Program is funded as part of a $15,200 resiliency grant from the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services. The rest of the funding will be used for enhanced law enforcement to address those who are not riding safely.
“Washington has become a mecca for two- and four-seat off-highway vehicles,” said Stewart. “We’ve had crashes and people getting into trouble, and we wanted to take action.”
The volunteers are from two clubs – Knuckles Up NorCal (for enthusiasts of side-by-sides, also known as utility task vehicles or UTVs) and Nevada County Woods Riders Motorcycle Club. They wear specially marked vests and ride UTVs with a flag marking them as volunteers.
“The idea is to start a conversation,” Stewart said. “We want to use peer-to-peer interactions on the trail to get people to behave responsibly.”
Five Tips to Have a Safe Off-Highway Vehicle Experience
- Stay on established roads and trails.
- Carry a fire extinguisher.
- Carry enough food and water.
- Yield to hikers, bicyclists and equestrians.
- Don’t drink and drive. The same laws about driving under the influence that apply to driving any car also apply to driving off-highway vehicles.
To learn more, visit the off-highway vehicle safety video on Nevada County’s YouTube page.