An ATV Can Be a Blast – If You Keep It Safe

Summer in Georgia means it’s time to be outside. For a lot of folks, being outside includes being on an ATV. While these vehicles are fun to ride, too often they are treated as toys. Riding without training or safety equipment, riding on dangerous terrain, and riding under the influence of alcohol or drugs are just a few of the factors that lead to these awful statistics from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC):

CPSC staff received reports of 13,043 ATV-related fatalities occurring between 1982 and 2013.
Of those 13,043 deaths, 3,023 of them involved children younger than 16 and 1,303 were younger than 12 years of age.
In 2013, there were an estimated 99,600 ATV-related, emergency department-treated injuries in the United States. An estimated 25 percent of these involved children younger than 16 years of age.
Clearly, the reward of a fun day of riding comes with serious risks. As with all risks, however, the risk of injury or death from ATV riding can be reduced with some common-sense safety precautions. The CPSC urges riders to adhere to these “basic rules of the trail”:

• Don’t allow children younger than 16 to drive or ride on adult ATVs.
• Never allow a child younger than 6 to drive or ride on any ATV.
• Always wear a helmet and protective gear when riding any ATV. If the vehicle is designed to carry passengers, make sure they have on protective gear, too.
• Don’t drive an off-road vehicle on paved roads.
• Take a hands-on safety training course. This is especially important for young or first-time operators.
• Never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Never carry a passenger on a single-rider ATV, and no more than one passenger on an ATV specifically designed for two people.
• Ride only on designated trails and at a safe speed.

At The Parian Law Firm in metro Atlanta, Georgia, we represent injury victims exclusively and are committed to getting justice and compensation for our clients. Please contact us at (770) 727-5550 or chat live online with a member of our staff today.