ATV Accident Death and Injury Statistics – Virginia

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are designed for off-road use, but many riders tend to take them on to public roads. According to statistics, more than 1,700 riders died in ATV-related crashes on public roads in the United States between 2007 and 2011.

Many of these off-road vehicles can reach highway speeds, but their low-pressure tires are not made for paved surfaces, resulting in many models rolling, and also causing spills and leaks that can lead to severe ATV fires and explosions.

Over the last few decades, deaths of ATV riders and their passengers have increased significantly, particularly has the vehicles have continued to rise in popularity. It has been reported that ATV accidents in Virginia are more frequent during the warmer months, and even during hunting season. West Virginia, particularly, has been ranked as the state with the highest rate of fatal ATV accidents. During 2013, 18 ATV-related accidents were reported in Marion County.

Virginia does not have a law that requires riders of ATVs to wear a helmet when operating an ATV, either. When an all-terrain vehicle-related accident happens and a child, especially, is thrown off or rolled over by a vehicle, injuries and burns can be severe.

While studies tend to pay a great deal of attention to ATV injuries and death amongst children, recent years have seen that more and more fatally injured ATV riders are men. In fact, 90 percent of the ATV rider deaths reported regarding fatal crashes involved riders who were 16 years and older, and 90 percent have been males.

When it comes to decreasing these numbers, education is key. While ATVs are a great deal of fun to ride, and many riders fancy themselves as dare devils, riders should never push all-terrain vehicles beyond their capabilities. While Virginal bans ATVs from its city streets, it is free game in rural communities.

But, no matter how cautious and experience a driver may be, there is always the chance of fire risks or spontaneous explosions, which are usually the result of defect parts and improper, poor, and faulty manufacturing. We have seen more and more models being recalled in the past six months due to problems with parts, hairline cracks, and more.