June 1, 2007 by Don Vogel
Posted in
Kentucky leads the nation in ATV deaths so far in 2007, with 17.
Partly in response to the above, the ATV Safety Institute is holding ATV training sessions at LBL later this month.
Despite a recent law passed requiring riders 16 and younger to wear protective headgear, many of the recent victims choose not to do so.
A state police spokesperson attributes much of the problem to "reckless operation of the ATV's."
No training or licensing is required to operate an ATV.
This is definitely an
This is definitely an article I can believe. I grew up in eastern kentucky and people spend more money on atvs as compared to their car. I was at the honda shop a couple weeks ago and they purchased a 7k atv and loaded it into a truck that had rust holes in the bed. Everyone has an atv back home and its not uncommon for a family to have four. Most people also don't wear helmets and people are definitely reckless in their teenage years. I had an atv growing up and I'm honestly lucky to be alive after one of the wrecks that I had on pavement. I flew into a barbed wire fence post and got up without a scratch or a cut somehow. That's a long story made short. They can go anywhere and some have a top speed of 70 mph which inspires confidence in young people You can conquer the world, near your home, on an atv.
That's not a stat that I'm
That's not a stat that I'm proud of, but I like atvs ok. When the day comes that I can't ride a mtb, I'll still be in the dbnf, just on an atv.
Atv's are inherently tippy (kinda like my mtb), and they're especially dangerous on asphalt. I bet that 75% plus of ky atv fatalities occur on the road, or running off the road. Where they are'nt legal to operate anyway.
The fad here is the side-by-side rigs. Like the yamaha rhino's and such. Those things are too wide (in a different classification than atv's) to be trail legal in the dbnf. Around here, that's what you drive to your neghbors with. I'm guessing that's new additions to the "atv" stats there too. (That being said, I wish I had a rhino!)
Hey Paul, good to see ya
Hey Paul, good to see ya here man. Welcome aboard! Seams like Bike Kentucky has alot of SE Kentucky folks on here. I'm really stoked about that because your part of the state has tons of opportunity for some of the best trails in the Eastern US. I'm talking Epic XC trails, Downhill, Freeride, the possiblities are endless. You guys already have some of the best trails in the state.
Anyway, back on topic. The rhinos are really cool. I was thinking, if I could build a bike rack on one, my son could shuttle me to the top of the downhill runs, ride down, then pick me back up at the bottom, shuttle up to the next, and so on. Brimstone Rec. Area in Tenn. would allow this but with the width you would be limited to places like that which allow the rhino.
I friend of mine runs GNCC atv racing circuit and I mean those guys push the limits. I don't recall any deaths within the time I've been around it. Those guys are experienced at bailing to safety when things go wrong and they all wear the best in safety equipment.
I believe most bad accidents are cause by inexperienced riders with an unreal sense of confidence. You gotta ride within your skill level and progress from there. Safety equipment (helmets) aren't used in recreational atving either. Like Paul said, high speed road accidents are probably a large percentage.
I was just pedaling along............
I have to agree about the
I have to agree about the high speed road accidents are probably the biggest cause. It's not uncommon for me to go home and see the local cop chasing an atv up a one lane road. They won't allow atvs in town to purchase gas so they try to sneak out and get fuel. When the cop spots them it is followed by a chase. Rules like this lead to this stat inceareasing.
Hold my beer and watch this.
Hold my beer and watch this.
If you go back a number of
If you go back a number of years, some of the ATV companies use to sell 3-wheelers (my younger brother had one) and those things were accidents waiting to happen.
Fortunately they're no longer manufactured (and my brother moved on to a 4 wheeler).
For ATV enthusiasts, the state RTP program sets aside approx. 30% of its funds for motorized uses. In years past, if there wasn't enough applications for the 30%, the balance would go back into the pool. Since that's no longer the case, expect to see additional dollars and trails specifically for ATV's.
Good point Rico. I
Good point Rico. I completely forgot about that. It's super easy to drink and drive on a 4-wheeler. Another good point was mentioned by Don. I watched an old friend roll his 3 wheeler into a barbed wire fence because his front tire was low. Those things were extremely dangerous. I wonder if the 3 wheel motorcycles or whatever they're called are extremely easy to roll.
Coming from an ATV
Coming from an ATV rider/racer I can say that ATV's kill people like guns do. The person behind the gun or the handlebars kill themself out of stupidity, lack of knowledge, experience, etc, etc, etc. I"ve been around guns my whole life and have yet to see one go off by itself sitting in the back of my truck, kitchen table, etc, etc, etc. Honda's ATV moto is stupid hurts and sometimes it kills. The way I see it is we are rated as the #1 dumbest state, which is sad to say. It's also a fact more people die on motorcycles in KY than ATV's but that fact is never brought up.
Heard on the radio this
Heard on the radio this morning 20 deaths so far this year. There was 26 total deaths in 06.
Another thing that I noticed
Another thing that I noticed while reading about the almost daily atv deaths in the paper. Alot of the deaths are teenagers and preteens.
An individual younger than
An individual younger than age 16 should not be riding a quad with more than 60cc I believe. I know it's 60 or 80cc, but you see them on a 660cc tank. When I was about 13 I rode my 4 wheeler around the farm and if I would hit a ditch the handlebars would sometimes get jerked out of my hands. I was driving very slow, so that's the only reason I didn't wreck. I'm sure that has happened to other children or teens. It's asking for trouble to put a small child on such a powerful vehicle.
Actually it's 90cc or less
Actually it's 90cc or less for 16 years or younger. Which is pretty dumb if you ask me since that same 16 year old can go into the same dealership and walk out with a 450cc 4 stroke dirtbike that is faster than you could ever imagine and WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more dangerous than any ATV out there. Except those dirtbike deaths don't get reported like ATV deaths do.
Again it's all about parenting and the ignorance of the parents.
I couldn't agree more Rico.
I couldn't agree more Rico. A 400 cc dirtbike would be about as heavy as a quad and like you pointed out a lot harder to ride. I had a cr125 growing up along with a 4-wheeler and my bike was way faster than any 300cc racing quad. My bike couldn't touch a 400cc or larger 4 stroke, which you pointed out is legal for a 16 year old to ride.
I'd would be willing to bet
I'd would be willing to bet that we don't just lead in deaths, but are probably top 5 in serious injuries as well. The word "death" grabs the headlines and sells the papers!
I have only ridden a ATV one time and was shocked at how has it was. I am sure they bring a lot of families together, but can rain down tragedy pretty quickly!
I like any off road experience but I prefer to go slower these days.