All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are three- or four-wheeled motorized vehicles designed primarily for off-the-road use. They have handlebars like a motorcycle, and the rider straddles the body of the vehicle. With large, soft tires, ATVs have a relatively high center of gravity. Some can reach speeds of 50 mph.
Very few states require a license to operate an ATV, most of which are used for recreation. There are no mandatory national safety standards for their construction and only a few states have issued regulations for their use. ATVs are often operated by children, some as young as age five.
ATVs have been involved in an alarming number of injuries and deaths, particularly among young people. Numerous groups have questioned the inherent danger of the design of these vehicles, and in December 1987, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission issued a consent decree with ATV manufacturers. Some of its provisions are: three-wheeled ATVs may no longer be manufactured and new three-wheeled ATVs may not be sold in the United States, and retailers may not sell either three- or four-wheeled ATVs with an engine size greater than 90 cubic centimeters for use by children under age 16.
In light of statistics that show an inordinate number of injuries and deaths resulting from the use of ATVs, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons considers ATVs to be a significant public health risk.
During the past five years, more than 200 deaths a year related to ATV use have been recorded. Almost 40 percent of the dead were children 16 years of age or younger; 17 percent were under the age of 12.
From 1984 to 1985, the number of ATV-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments in the U.S. increased from 63,900 to 85,900. After the Consumer Products Safety Commission consent decree of December 1987, that number dropped to 51,700 injuries treated in 1990 and 51,200 injuries treated in 1991. Almost 40 percent of the injuries were to children under the age of 16.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons supports the Consumer Products Safety Commission consent decree issued December 1987 that ends the sale and production of new three-wheeled ATVs in the United States.
The three-wheeled ATV is inherently unstable. When the operator executes a sharp turn at even moderate rates of speed, the high center of gravity of the vehicle, the short wheel base, and the short turning radius combine in many cases to cause the vehicle to turn over. The rider may be thrown from the vehicle or crushed beneath it as it rolls.
Many other risk factors, such as the use of alcohol and the lack of safety equipment, can contribute to accidents on ATVs. However, the basic design of the three-wheeled models make them hazardous to anyone who rides them.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons supports the Consumer Products Safety Commission consent decree restrictions on the sale of four-wheeled ATVs to children. In addition, laws mandating licensing for operators should be passed and enforced.
Four-wheel ATVs have some of the same design features as the three-wheel models, including a high center of gravity, short wheel-base, short turning radius and high-powered engine. They are difficult machines to operate, even if somewhat less likely to roll over than the three-wheeled versions. Moreover, as off-the-road vehicles, they are generally used on rough or uneven ground. Uneven surfaces can cause them to turn over, largely due to the high center of gravity. When used on hills, they are capable of flipping over from front to back, as the rear wheels can lift the front wheels off the ground when excessive power is applied. Studies have shown that almost 60 percent of accidents involving four-wheel ATVs result from tipping and overturning. Drivers can be thrown from these ATVs or can be crushed beneath them, just as with three-wheel models. In fact, since the Consumer Product Safety Commission restrictions on three-wheeled ATVs have taken effect, nearly 60 percent of ATV-related deaths have involved four-wheeled ATVs.
Operators should be licensed on the basis of demonstrated competence in handling the vehicle and knowledge of the safety hazards that are presented by driving an ATV. With few laws governing the use of these vehicles, at present, almost anyone of any age or level of skill or training can legally operate an ATV. Although ATVs with a 90 cc or greater engine size may not be sold to or for the use of children under the age of 16, once an ATV has been purchased and taken home it is difficult to prevent small children from driving the ATV. No person should operate such a machine without some demonstration of training, knowledge and maturity.
The minimum age of 16 for operating an ATV on or off the road should be enforced. Children under the age of 12 generally possess neither the body size and strength, nor the motor skills and coordination necessary for the safe handling of an ATV. Children under age 16 generally have not yet developed the perceptual abilities or the judgment required for the safe use of highly powered vehicles. Operators should be required to wear safety equipment. While sturdy clothing and leather gloves can help, in a modest way, to prevent or mitigate cuts and abrasions associated with falls from the vehicle, the key piece of safety equipment is a safety helmet that meets standards set for helmets used by motorcycle riders. As with motorcycle riders, the helmet provides the best protection available against death or serious, disabling injury. In 80 percent of the deaths from accidents involving ATVs, the driver was not wearing a helmet.
ATVs should be used only during daylight hours. Most ATVs are marketed and used as off-the-road, recreational vehicles. In the varied terrain in which they are most commonly used, good visibility is required. Riding after dark is especially dangerous because lights attached to a vehicle cannot provide enough properly directed illumination when the vehicle is bouncing or turning.
Only one person at a time should ride an ATV. Adding a passenger to the ATV increases the propensity of the vehicle to tip or turn over, because the passenger, to a significant extent, increases the high center of gravity. In almost a third of ATV accidents (31 percent), more than one person was riding the vehicle.
© October 1987, Revised December 1992 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
This material may not be modified without the express written permission of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Document Number: 1101
For additional information, contact Alvin Nagelberg at (847) 384-4138 or email nagelberg@mac.aaos.org