Safety, Key safety issues – Polaris 2002 ATV Sportsman 6X6 User Manual

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SAFETY

Key Safety Issues

Never operate the vehicle on hills too steep for the vehicle or for

your abilities. Practice on smaller hills before attempting larger

hills.

Always follow proper procedures for climbing hills as described in

this manual. Check the terrain carefully before you start up any

hill. Never climb hills with excessively slippery or loose surfaces.

Shift your weight forward. Never open the throttle suddenly or

make sudden gear changes. Never go over the top of any hill at

high speed.

Always follow proper procedures for going down hills and for brak-

ing on hills as described in this manual. Check the terrain careful-

ly before you start down any hill. Shift your weight backward.

Never go down a hill at high speed. Avoid going down a hill at an

angle which would cause the vehicle to lean sharply to one side.

Go straight down the hill where possible.

Always follow proper procedures for crossing the side of a hill as

described in this manual. Avoid hills with excessively slippery or

loose surfaces. Shift your weight to the uphill side of the vehicle.

Never attempt to turn the vehicle around on any hill until you have

mastered the turning technique described in this manual on level

ground. Avoid crossing the side of a steep hill if possible.

Always use proper procedures if you stall or roll backwards when

climbing a hill. To avoid stalling, maintain a steady speed when

climbing a hill. If you stall or roll backwards, follow the special

procedure for braking described in this manual. Dismount on the

uphill side or to either side if pointed straight uphill. Turn the ve-

hicle around and remount, following the procedure described in

this manual.

Always check for obstacles before operating in a new area. Never

attempt to operate over large obstacles, such as large rocks or fallen

trees. Always follow proper procedures when operating over ob-

stacles as described in this manual.

Always be careful of skidding or sliding. On slippery surfaces,

such as ice, go slowly and be very cautious in order to reduce the

chance of skidding or sliding out of control.

Avoid operating the vehicle through deep or fast flowing water. If

you cannot avoid water which exceeds the recommended maxi-

mum depth (pg. 68), go slowly, balance your weight carefully

avoiding sudden movements, maintain a slow and steady forward

motion, do not make sudden turns or stops, and do not make sud-

den throttle changes.