115

As you will note , the 38305 vehicle code clause reflects California . State law , which states you may never drive faster than is safe or : : prudent . Most of the accidents are from excessive speed . We have a State law that also makes it illegal to drive faster than 15 miles an hour within 50 feet of a campsite or group of people .

In our State vehicular recreation areas we have initiated an in terpretive program for safety awareness . We have had two rangers certified as chief instructors from the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America . These rangers have gone on to teach other rangers the course , thereby making them instructors .

We have the all - volunteer dune patrol at Pismo Beach to help out in accidents , education , resource monitoring , and public serv ice . Assembly bill 2235 ( proposed ) would fund nonprofit organiza tions for safety education .

A standardized signing program is underway within the Depart ment of Parks and Recreation which will provide consistent safety and interpretive signing off road throughout the State of Califor nia . This will include all agencies that receive off - highway vehicle funds through the grant process including the Federal Govern ment .

Some of our parks set aside areas for ATV use only to keep the users separate from four - wheel - drive vehicles and motorcycles , et cetera , and many have learning areas .

The commission is proposing mandatory helmet legislation for State vehicular recreation areas . The use we are experiencing in the diverse riding areas we provide indicates a need for public awareness , user participation , and actual education which we are attempting to provide . I am sure that after you review the accom panying data you will reach the conclusion that we have known for some years : That a comprehensive education plan along with man ufacturer cooperation will yield many more benefits than any other option .

We would like to make ourselves available to you for any ques tions you may have concerning our programs and this data I am presenting to you . I want to make it clear that some of these state ments are my own conclusions and do not necessarily reflect the State of California ' s policy and administration .

The SVRA ' s that we operate have the following terrains avail able . We have the Hungry Valley District that is hard dirt , rocks , and streams . We have the Pismo Dunes District that is mainly sand dunes . The Coyote Hills District is hill climbs of mud and dirt . And the Ocotillo Wells District is mainly desert . We have 1 , 358 , 206 visitor - days per year at our parks . Last year , in 1984 , we had 1 , 200 accidents , 626 of which were ATV accidents and of that 626 , 252 were major and moderate injuries . “ Major and moderate injuries ” mean that the victim needed medical attention . The minor injuries were cuts and were dispensed with first aid .

The total number of accidents per 1 , 000 visitor - days by the dis trict breaks down that . 7 was the accident rate per 1 , 000 visitor days . Now , a visitor - day is defined as an individual who enters the unit . The individual may exit or enter more than once each day and he will be counted each time . The system makes no differentia tion in these multiple injuries . However , the visitor may enter once