Hancock County West Virginia University's Extension office is holding an atv safety training session for free on Saturday for residents.

The course is being offered to try to offset the "high mortality rate in the state". The rate for WV is higher than the national average, and officials hope that by offering free safety courses, it just might help bring those numbers down.

This will be a classroom setting, and no ATVs will be there. Having been to an ATV Safety course myself, I'm here to tell you this is nothing more than a feel-good function if they're not giving hands on training. Very little will be learned from this.

If WV is really interested in reducing the number of deaths, they need to provide hands on training, or it will simply be a waste of money and resources. Telling someone to wear a helmet and ride safely is nothing compared to telling someone to wear a helmet and showing them HOW to ride safely.