The more we learn about ATVs, the less there is to recommend them. Manufacturers say they are fun – a great way to enjoy the outdoors. What they don’t say is alarming. ATVS are not made to drive on hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt. Their tires are oversize and have low tire pressure and no gripping ability on hard surfaces. They can be unstable even at low speeds. Their top heavy design and narrow wheel base make them “tippy.” When they roll over, they can cause catastrophic injuries – death and permanent spinal cord and brain damage among them. The Yamaha Rhino is especially dangerous. Its side-by-side models, made before 2004, had no doors, safety handles or other safety features. Many are still in use despite warnings. Rollovers crush arms and legs, leaving victims permanently crippled. Some, who were ejected, died. In July 2007, a report on CBS News showed a 24 percent increase from 2000 to 2004 (to an average of 171 a year) in deaths of children using ATVs. In 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics called ATVs “the perfect recipe for tragedy.” The increase in deaths and injuries to children and adults across the United States are related to the ATV’s growing size and speed, according to ATV injury experts.
