You can have been driving for years, racked up hundreds of hours on your machine, and experienced a variety of trail conditions—yet you’re still not immune to an accident. In this article, I’ll share the ATV accident I experienced last year, along with my tips on how I got back behind the wheel as quickly as possible. Happy reading!
June 2024 — My ATV Trail Accident
It was June 15, 2024. I had spent the entire day riding with my partner and our two kids on the federated trails of the Club de quad de la Mitis. It was around 4:00 p.m. when we stopped to say hello to my parents. We wanted to leave one of our quads there for the night.
My partner then drove home with the kids while I headed out on our other ATV. I asked my son if he wanted to come with me. Thankfully, he declined due to a headache. I say “thankfully” because my ride home didn’t go as planned.
On my way back, I was riding a trail I had taken dozens of times in the summer. And yet, that Saturday, for reasons unknown, I lost control of the ATV. As a result, the quad flipped completely and landed on top of me.
Despite everything, I was lucky—the passenger seat backrest was resting on the ground, which gave me just enough room to slide out from under the vehicle. At that moment, it was obvious to me that I had broken something in my shoulder. Being alone, I had to call for help.
While I waited for a friend and my partner to arrive, a few people passed by. They kindly flipped my quad back onto its wheels and moved it off the trail. These Good Samaritans stayed with me until help arrived. It’s a beautiful example of how tight-knit the ATV community really is! Among ATV enthusiasts, there’s a genuine sense of camaraderie. It’s only natural to help someone in need when they’re in trouble on a trail.
Once rescued, I was taken straight to the emergency room at the nearest hospital. The diagnosis: a fractured humerus, plus several bruises and scratches on my legs. Just like that, my ATV season—which had only just begun—came to a sudden end.
First Time Back Behind the Wheel
I spent the rest of the summer with my shoulder immobilized so the bone could heal properly. It wasn’t until early August that I was finally able to remove my sling and begin rehab. After being inactive for so long, even writing was a struggle. But I wasn’t ready to give up. I attended all my appointments and followed every treatment and exercise plan given by my psychotherapist.
Around mid-September, I decided to take the quad out on our family woodlot for a short ride. Just a quick 3 km out-and-back on a straight road—just to say I was back in the saddle. I had always heard that after an accident, it’s important not to wait too long before getting back behind the wheel. The longer you wait, the harder it can be to overcome the trauma. The sooner you face your fear, the easier it gets.
Spring 2025
My ATV season was a write-off, but I still had snowmobiling to look forward to—if I could recover in time. So I followed my physiotherapy program religiously to give myself the best shot. In the end, I was able to enjoy a full snowmobile season this past winter with no complications or lingering effects.
Once the snow melted, I pulled out the ATV and carefully prepped it for my first trail ride. This would be my first real outing since that fateful June 15, 2024.
And everything went great! That said, I did feel a wave of anxiety in my stomach as I approached the spot where I crashed. It was probably a bit of post-traumatic stress. But I didn’t let fear take over. I crossed that section of trail slowly—very slowly—on my first pass.
Since then, I’ve ridden that path several times again. Yes, I still slow down more than necessary, and yes, the memory of the accident lingers. But I’ve regained control over my emotions and fought back against my fear.
5 Tips to Overcome Fear After an ATV Accident
- It’s completely normal to feel scared after an accident. It’s important to acknowledge your fear and learn how to manage it.
- Talk to someone—a loved one or someone who’s been through something similar. Or, if needed, reach out to a health professional. It can really help.
- Only get back behind the wheel when you feel ready. Don’t rush it.
- Start with short rides. Pick a simple, calm route. Ideally, don’t begin with the same trail where the accident happened. First, rebuild confidence in yourself and your machine. Slowly but surely, you can move on to more challenging routes until you’re ready to face the site of the accident.
- When you do revisit that trail, go at your own pace. This isn’t the time to impress anyone.
Above all, don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone heals at their own speed. With time, you’ll rebuild your confidence and rekindle your old passion for riding!
Regaining Confidence After an ATV Accident
In short, trust your skills after an accident. The accident doesn’t define your driving abilities. It could have been caused by an uncontrollable external factor, a mechanical failure, or a number of other things.
You’ll drive your machine 1,000 times and have an accident only once. The other 999 times, everything went smoothly. That’s what you should focus on. Just because it happened once doesn’t mean it’ll happen again.
And don’t wait too long to get back behind the wheel. Remember: the longer you wait, the harder it becomes. That said, go at your own pace. Measure your progress against yourself—not others.
Getting back behind the wheel might be easy for some and more difficult for others. In any case, think back to how much fun you had before the accident! That thought alone can be great motivation to conquer your fear.
Thanks for reading—see you out on the trails this summer!
