The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has issued a warning over the increasing number of deaths from all-terrain vehicle crashes on public roads.
In 2023, 291 people died in ATV accidents on public roads — 90% of them males, according to a report by the Consumer Federation of America.
Beyond the fatalities, hundreds of thousands of riders visit trauma centers for their injuries every year.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 100,000 emergency department-treated injuries involving all-terrain vehicles occur annually. ATVs account for a significant portion of off-highway vehicle injuries, with CPSC estimating that in 2022, 94,700 injuries associated with OHVs were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments, and ATVs were involved in 92% of those injuries.
There are two factors that are contributing to this rash of deaths and injuries: young, thrill-seeking males, and a vehicle designed for off-road use traveling on public roads.
Local and state-level efforts have focused on enacting laws to restrict off-road vehicles to designated trails. However, the need to allow limited travel on roadways when accessing those trails complicates matters.
If you have an ATV or two, make sure that you or whoever is riding them takes the proper safety precautions.
Accident types
Typical beginner accidents result from driving too fast for conditions or exceeding abilities. Novices are already more susceptible to exercising poor judgment, but when they travel with experienced riders, they often overreach their abilities in order to keep pace.
Handlebar kickback — losing hold of the handlebars after colliding with obstacles — is particularly problematic for beginners.
Insurance
If you own an ATV, you should also secure insurance for it to cover any damage or injuries you may cause with it, as well as comprehensive if it is stolen or vandalized. ATV coverage will often have a medical payments coverage if you or a friend is injured using the vehicle.
The ATV Safety Institute’s Golden Rules
- Always wear a helmet, goggles, long sleeves, long pants, over-the-ankle boots, and gloves.
- Never ride on paved roads, except to cross when done safely and permitted by law.
- Don’t drive on terrain beyond your abilities.
- Never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Never carry a passenger on a single-rider ATV, and no more than one passenger on an ATV designed for two people.
- Ride an ATV that’s right for your age.
- Supervise riders younger than 16; ATVs are not toys.
- Ride only on designated trails and at a safe speed.
- Take an ATV Rider Course. The ATV Safety Institute has a free online course at: www.ATVSafety.org.
