Let me assure you that every time there's an ATV death in the paper in this state its because:

A) No helmet
B) More than 1 rider
C) Kids on big ATV's
D) Combinations of the above.

I can NEVER remember a death that did not involve some kind of failing on the part of the rider.

An older man just died on a utility the other day when he rolled his quad on top of himself in a ditch - with no helmet on.
Common sense can go a long way.

 

Agreed. I see so many little kids around where I live riding big ATV's. They do wear helmets but still. Like the other day I saw a Polaris hmmm sportsman 400 4X4 i'm going to guess because i wasn't all that close to it but there where three kids on it! and to top it off i'm guessing the age range was 12 and 11. Ahhhh some parents are dumb that is too much power for one little kid let alone three on it in an open field and there is this little BMX/motocross track down by where they where riding and I was out there with my quad jumping around a little and the driver was trying to show off to me or something. I was just waiting for him to tip that darn quad over. I wanted to say something but all he would have done is gotten mad and drove away even faster.

 

It's the same out here KevinM. Everytime I hear of an accident on an ATV, it's always two up, no helmets, accidentally running off an embankment, or another quad or a 8 yr old kid grabbing too much throttle on a Banshee. I agree with aussie too. These things were not made for the street. You can legally street license an ATV in AZ, but there is no helmet law. An evassive move on the street at speed is scary. There was a story on the news not too long ago about a guy on a street legal raptor hauling a$$ down a residential street and having a car pull out in front of him. His reaction to seeing the car put him in more trouble by grabbing too much front brake. Clipped the car, curb and through him down hard. No helmet of course.

 

more people get spamed on sleds and thay don't say anything.

 

I am semi in agreement with most of you here.

1) Helmets are a must, though I admit I occasionally ride without for short (read couple minutes) stretches.

2) One person per ATV. I make exceptions to this under special circumstances (is the machine equiped for 2, is the operator driving responsibly, etc) but basically it's a bad idea. I do ride 2-up to transport people to the picnic area where I ride most (Tri County) and occasionally to give the kids a ride (both of us with helmets) but I keep it slow and skip the tricky stuph.

3) Kids on Big ATV's. This statement is too broad. One of my kids is 13. He's 5'10" and 150 lbs. He's also an extremely responsible and excellent rider. I've drilled safety into his head so much he takes the time to educate his younger siblings (and other kids) on it. There are other kids like this as well. Frankly, forcing this kid to ride the 90cc machines he'd be restricted to is more dangerous than letting him ride larger machines. There are other kids that fit this rule as well. A better rule is to make the kids (and perhaps riders in general) fit the machine. I'd go on about this but it's already been discussed in length elsewhere in this forum. As a side note, MN will allow kids 12-15 to ride larger machines (providing they "fit" properly starting in July, but they have to pass a safety course (both written and on the machine) before they can earn the permit.

I think too many adults treat the ATV's as "babysitters." Rather than take the time with their kids they buy the machines and send them on their way to "get them out of their hair." This is what leads to accidents. I bought my ATV's to spend time WITH my kids and, as such, took the time to instruct them and took a hands on approach to their development (which is a continuing process).

 

Another ATV death in our morning paper today. Rider with no helmet on.

 

per the statistics you gave us, the amount of deaths is directly
proportional to the increase in the sale of atv's... 40 % in each
case... 251 deaths rising to 357.. right at 40%...so there is no
percentage increase in deaths compared to the sales of atvs..

This doesn't explain the much larger percentage of injuries..
I am curious as to how many of those injuries/deaths were
head injuries... and if it's been broken down into age groups.

Just not enough info to draw a conclusion on what should or
shouldn't be done.

I guess the point I'm making is in my area of the country children
under 5 must be in a child restraint seat at all times while in a
motor vehicle..this has saved injuries and lives.

Also, it is strongly advised in my city that children wear a bicycle
helmet while riding a bicycle...

This has helped our children grow up more safely and without
any detrimental effects to the sales figures of the bicycle
manufacturers...maybe this type of legislation would be good
for the atv industry also...

Like I said, from the original post, I just don't have enough detailed
info to determine where the problem lies and with what age group
to recommend any proactive measures.

 

Pechmial(Pro Rider),

U stated it's okay to ride a 2nd person on the atv if it's built for two.

The only atv I know of in production made for two people is a Bombardier
and it has a front and rear seat..

I'm not talking about mules or rangers, etc... true atv's are what I'm talking
about.

Another thing, I'm glad your child is responsible and you've drilled safety into
him enough to make him a good driver at 13.... he is the exception and
not the rule...

I couldn't agree more with the post that stated he saw 3 up (ages 11 and 12)
on a 400 4x4... this type of parental irresponsibility is what causes injuries.

I made the mistake a few years ago of purchasing a trailboss 250 polaris
for my daughter (age 14 at the time) , thinking this machine was small
enough for her... it was too much machine and I think she was very mature and
responsible for her age... in hindsight, another 2 years would have made a big
difference in her being ready for that machine....

This will in no way hurt our kids ability to ride if they choose a youth model
machine(which most manufacturers have) to ride..and it would not hurt
the atv manufacturers sales figures either.. but I sure believe it could help
the child injury/death rate, especially if helmets were required.

This whole helmet issue was applied to the motorcycle industry many years
ago.. most states have a helmet law.. some do not.. I personally think it's
pure stupidity to ride a motorcyle/atv without a helmet...

oh, yes, and I always wear my seat belt in my car/truck... it's a state law
where I live also... just call me Mr. Cautious.... better safe than sorry..

 

Arctic Cat also makes a 2-up machine. It's not on their website but is available at the dealers. Also, the rear seat boxes that are perminantly affixed (not by straps but by bolting to the rear rack) are usually acceptable to haul children in (again, providing the driver rides sensibly).

People who let three kids ride one ATV without helmets should be locked up, though. There is a limit. I should also add that my son, as good as he is, NEVER rides without my supervision.

 

I couldn't disagree more about the 2 up riding..
Unless the atv is manufactured with 2 seats and a longer wheelbase,
which the Bombardier is, it is not safe for 2 up riding.. I don't care if
u put an aftermarket seat on the rack....it throws the front/rear balance
of the machine off enough so if a bump is hit on the trail it can raise up
that front end up in no time and flip the occupants right off..I've seen it
happen to people riding 2 up and it's not pretty..but it is dangerous..
especially for a child to be entrusted with this....just curious is your
Arctic Cat the two seater machine you speak of that I've never seen.
If so, please accept my apology.. if it is an after market seat you've
put on a regular Arctic Cat atv, I withdraw my apology...