ATV Accident Death and Injury Statistics – California

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ranked California second in terms of total reported ATV accident deaths from 1982 through 2015. According to the Commission, there were 703 deaths during this time span. On public roads, there were 26 fatalities from 2012 through 2014, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Anyone involved in an all-terrain vehicle accident has a high chance of sustaining serious injuries, including burns, as some vehicles have caught fire and even exploded due to fuel leaks and exhaust system damage.

Accidents aren’t limited to recreational riders. A report by Worksafe and the Southern California Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health found that 17 agricultural workers were killed driving vehicles in 2011, including ATVs. Another five workers had been run over and/or crushed by vehicles. One worker, a 22-year-old female, was not wearing a helmet when another vehicle struck her. At the time, the vehicle was traveling between fields.

California’s Accident-Prone Terrain

In San Luis Obispo County, ER workers have seen children as young as four injured in ATV accidents. Imperial Sand Dunes at the southeastern corner of the state is a destination for many off-road vehicle riders. There are around six fatalities in the area every year. In 2009, a 24-year-old male was one of them, crushed as the vehicle flipped and came to rest on top of him. An emergency medical technician, was en route to help another rider who was injured but lost control trying to scale a steep dune.

Do State Laws Protect the Public?

California has no minimum age regulations. That means children of any age can ride an all-terrain vehicle. However, kids under 14 must be supervised by an adult unless they complete a certified training course. The rider or companion must have a safety certificate if they are under 18. As for helmets, ATV operators must have them at all times, if driving on public land. Passengers are not allowed unless the vehicle is designed to transport them, and off-road vehicles are forbidden from traveling on highways.

A bill was introduced in 2013 to prevent recreational off-highway vehicles from being modified. Pertaining to vehicles from 2014 on, it prohibits anyone from making alterations to accommodate passengers, when the manufacturer hasn’t designed the product to do so. In September 2014, another legislation removed a restriction on moving unregistered vehicles to transport them, as long as they are kept on a trailer or truck bed.

The Department of Parks and Recreation regulates the use of all-terrain vehicles in California. Its department of Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation has addressed serious concerns, such as off-highway vehicles being DMV-registered as all-terrain vehicles. The differences are many, and individuals not experienced in driving an ATV can lose control and risk serious bodily harm, including burns, if the vehicle were to catch fire following a collision or impact.