ATVs on Roadways: A Safety Crisis

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March 20th, 2014

In spite of warnings from manufacturers, federal agencies, and consumer and safety advocates that all terrain vehicles (ATVs) are unsafe on roadways, for several years an increasing number of states have passed laws allowing ATVs on public roads. The majority of ATV deaths take place on these roads and action is needed to reverse this dangerous trend.

An ATV is an “off-road, motorized vehicle having three or four low-pressure tires, a straddle seat for the operator, and handlebars for steering control.”1 Even though the definition of ATVs specifically includes that they are designed for off-road use and the warnings from manufacturers, the trade association, and labels required by federal law indicate that ATVs should never be operated on roads, many riders do not follow these instructions.