Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Division highlights OHV education reach; council asks for clearer law-and-penalties module
Summary
Deirdre Miller introduced herself as the Division’s OHV education manager and reported in-person and online course activity; council members urged adding concise law/penalty content and improved dealer and instructor outreach to increase compliance and clarity.
Deirdre Miller, education program manager for the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, opened the council’s education update by describing the program’s role in running mandatory and optional OHV safety courses across the state. She said the division delivers both online and in-person "hands-on" classes and that staff track instructor certifications and student completions.
Jacob Hinton, lieutenant with the OHV law-enforcement program, told the council that field compliance with certification was high: "We actually have quite a few individuals that are very compliant with it. We see very few numbers that are not." Deirdre added that online enrollment far exceeds in-person attendance; she later said roughly 120 students took hands-on classes this past year versus thousands online.
Several council members said the curriculum should give clearer, brief guidance on laws and consequences. Brody Johnson advocated adding a law-focused segment and simple quiz items on penalties and where machines may be operated: "I'd like to see more on the law side ... what happens if you are caught riding in the wrong place? What are the penalties?" Wade and staff said they could add a short module or invite law enforcement for a question-and-answer segment near the end of the existing course.
Council members and staff discussed administrative details for tracking certifications and whether the certification could be carried on phone apps. Jacob said participants currently can download digital certificates and the division can work with vendors to resend certification emails if needed.
The council agreed to explore modest additions to the current adult course—keeping it quick and user-friendly while including essential legal guidance—and to improve outreach to dealers and local law-enforcement partners so users register and certify correctly. The update closed with staff offering to share scheduling and counts by request.
