TRAVEL RESPONSIBLY

Travel responsibly on designated roads, trails or areas.

• Travel only in areas open to wheelchair use.
• For your safety, travel straight up or down hills.
• Drive over, not around obstacles to avoid widening the trail.
• Straddle ruts, gullies and washouts even if they are wider than your chair.
• Cross streams only at designated fording points, where the road crosses the stream.
• When possible, avoid mud. In soft terrain, go easy on the joystick to avoid track spin, which can cause rutting.
• Don’t turn around on narrow roads, steep terrain or unstable ground. Back up until you find a safe place to turn around.
• Know where the the lowest point on your chair is. This will help in negotiating terrain and prevent chair damage resulting in wheelchair complications.
• Comply with all signs and respect barriers.
• Travel with a group of two or more. Driving solo can leave you vulnerable if you have a wheelchair accident or your wheelchair breaksdown. Designate meeting areas in case of separation.
• Choose the appropriate winch for your wheelchair if desierd.
• Attach towing cable, tree strap, or chain as low as possible to the object being winched. Let the winch do the work; never drive the winch.
• When winching always inspect your equipment, use the right winch for the situation, find a good secure anchor and never winch with less than five wraps of wire rope around the drum.
• When using a tree as an anchor, use a wide tree strap to avoid damaging the trunk of the tree.
• Don’t mix driving with alcohol or drugs.

RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS

Respect the rights of others, including private property owners, all recreational trail users, campers and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed.

• Be considerate of others on the road or trail.
• Leave gates as you find them. If crossing private property, be sure to ask permission from the landowner(s).
• When encountering horses on the trail, move to the side of the trail, and stop.
• Proceed with caution around horses and pack animals. Sudden, unfamiliar activity may spook animals—possibly causing injury to animals, handlers and others on the trail.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

Educate yourself prior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies, planning for your trip, taking recreation skills classes and knowing how to operate your equipment safely.

• Obtain a map, motor vehicle use map where appropriate) of your destination and determine which areas are open to off-highway vehicles.
• Make a realistic plan and stick to it. Always tell someone of your travel plans.
• Contact the land manager for area restrictions, closures and permit requirements.
• Check the weather forecast before you go. Prepare for the unexpected by packing necessary emergency items.
• Buckle-up! Seat belts are mandatory. Know your limitations. Watch your time, your Battery and your energy.
• Make sure your wheelchair is mechanically up to task. Be prepared with tools, supplies. Tracks tight? Free of major debree? Wires connected securly to the wheelchair drive controler.

AVOID SENSITIVE AREAS

Avoid sensitive areas such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams. Stay on designated routes.

• Other sensitive habitats to avoid include living desert soils, tundra, and seasonal nesting or breeding areas.
• Do not disturb historical, archeological or paleontological sites.
• Avoid “spooking” livestock and wildlife you encounter and keep your distance.
• Motorized Wheelchairs and mechanized vehicles are not allowed in designated Wilderness Areas. (please contact your ADA REP TO VOICE THIS DESCRIMINATION)

DO YOUR PART

Do your part by modeling appropriate behavior, leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species and restoring degraded areas.

• Carry a trash bag on your wheelchair and pick up litter left by others.
• Pack out what you pack in. Practice minimum impact camping by using established sites, camping 200 feet from water resources and trails.
• Observe proper sanitary waste disposal or pack your waste out.
• Before and after a ride, wash your vehicle to reduce the spread of invasive species.
• Build a trail community. Get to know other types of recreationists that share your favorite trail.

Commit to responsible outdoor tracking and learn more about how to protect off-road access by becoming a Friend of Tread Lightly! free.