Jasper Rotary Donates ATVs to District 7 DNR Law Enforcement

FROM LOCAL SOURCES

DUBOIS -- A nearly three-year partnership between the Rotary Club of Jasper and District 7 DNR Law Enforcement culminated this past week with the acquisition of two new all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for on-duty use by Indiana Conservation Officers.

The goal of the partnership was to spread awareness of ATV safety, including the importance of wearing helmets when riding ATVs.

Over the course of the partnership, the Jasper Rotary provided up to $100 in free ATV safety gear to area youth who completed the Indiana DNR online ATV safety course. More than $9,000 dollars of safety gear was purchased through the program, and DNR Law Enforcement used the remaining funds to purchase the new ATVs.

One ATV will be dedicated for use with the operational District 7 ATV safety trailer that officers use during educational appearances. The second will be used for patrol, such as responding to natural disasters and searching for individuals who become lost in the outdoors in District 7.  

In a ceremony yesterday at AC Motorsports in St. Anthony, the keys for the two ATVs were presented by the Jasper Rotary to District 7 DNR Law Enforcement. The ATVs are a Can-am Outlander 450 and Can-am DS 250. 

Indiana’s ATV helmet law came into effect July 1, 2017. The law requires individuals younger than 18 to wear a helmet when on an ATV.  Since the law’s inception, Indiana has seen a significant decline in the number of youth fatalities related to ATV accidents.