High school students train in ATV safety with Sudbury police
High school students get hands-on ATV safety lessons
High school students in Greater Sudbury took to the trails Wednesday for a hands-on lesson in all-terrain vehicle safety as part of All-Terrain Safety Awareness Week.
Greater Sudbury Police partnered with Confederation Secondary School in Val Caron to deliver an ATV safety program, teaching students critical riding skills.
Isabella Potvin
Confederation Secondary School students took to the trails on June 4, 2025, for a hands-on lesson in all-terrain vehicle safety as part of All-Terrain Safety Awareness Week. Grade 11 student Isabella Potvin is shown standing next to an ATV. (Alana Everson/CTV News Northern Ontario)
While 16-year-old Isabella Potvin is an experienced ATV rider, she said the course reinforced important safety practices, such as wearing a helmet and avoiding impaired riding.
'If you are not sober, you can't think as quickly, cause quadding has a lot of quick thinking – like if you're going over a bump or through a big puddle or something. It's so easy for something to happen, so you should have a clear mind,' said Potvin, a Grade 11 student at the school.
'It's important to wear a helmet because if you fall off a quad, you can severely hurt your head.'
Noah Burns
Confederation Secondary School students took to the trails on June 4, 2025, for a hands-on lesson in all-terrain vehicle safety as part of All-Terrain Safety Awareness Week. Grade 11 student Noah Burns is shown riding an ATV. (Alana Everson/CTV News Northern Ontario)
Fellow student Noah Burns, also 16, said ATV safety education is crucial for teens, especially as the recreational activity grows in popularity.
'It's kind of like a roller coaster – you could end up, I don't know, rolled over or even in a pond or something,' said Burns, also in Grade 11.
'Safely driving these things at a young age builds experience to be safe and not end up in those situations.'
The program was delivered through a partnership between the Ministry of Natural Resources, Rainbow District School Board and Greater Sudbury Police Service.
Const. Al Brunette
Greater Sudbury Police partnered with Confederation Secondary School in Val Caron to deliver an ATV safety program, teaching students critical riding skills. Const. Al Brunette of the Greater Sudbury Police Service's Specialized Enforcement Unit is shown next to a police all-terrain vehicle. (Alana Everson/CTV News Northern Ontario)
Const. Al Brunette of the Greater Sudbury Police Service's Specialized Enforcement Unit said educating young riders helps reduce risks.
'Our complaints for ATVs are very high lately, so it's nice to have that interaction with them,' Brunette said.
'We want to make sure they do it safely and in accordance with local legislation and bylaws to try and reduce some of the risks involved.'
Jody Jakubo, a program co-ordinator with Rainbow District School Board, said the initiative was funded through the Specialist High Skills Major program and experiential learning.
'It really aims at taking students outside the four walls of a traditional classroom to apply their learning in a hands-on environment,' Jakubo said.
Organizers hope teaching ATV safety early will help students enjoy the trails responsibly for years to come.
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