Riding all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, can be a fun recreational pastime or a farm chore necessity. In either case, the activity does come with its share of risks, and it is important to understand how to stay safe while operating an ATV as well as the Pennsylvania laws that govern their use.
ATV Accidents: Some Disturbing Trends
In 2003, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimated that ATVs caused over a quarter of a million injuries that required emergency room care, and that most of the victims of these injuries were under 16 years old. Indeed, one third of all ATV accident fatalities between 1982 and 2002 were kids under the age of 16, and this same age group accounted for almost 40 percent of all ATV injuries during those two decades.
In Pennsylvania alone, there were almost 500 ATV fatalities between 1982 and 2009 (though data for 2007-2009 is incomplete), and 105 deaths fatalities recorded between 1982 and 2006 were children under age 16.
Tips to Keep ATV Riders Safe
First and foremost, always wear a helmet. Helmets protect riders' brains in the event of a crash, and aids riders in preventing serious injury and even death. It is also important to be educated on how to use an ATV, including basic controls and riding etiquette. Taking a safety course is also wise, partially because such courses explore why it is important to never carry a passenger on an ATV unless the vehicle is built for such use, since doing so can throw off the control a rider has over his or her vehicle. ATVs should only be used on designated trails and never on pavement or while the rider is intoxicated.
Pennsylvania ATV Law
The state of Pennsylvania has several laws that govern the use of ATVs, most of which outline the ages at which ATVs can be used. No rider under the age of eight can ride an ATV on state land, and no child between the ages of eight and 15 can ride an ATV unless they are on their parents' land and have a safety training certificate. Riders under 16 cannot cross highways or ride on roads unless they have a safety training certificate and are accompanied by another rider over the age of 18.
More general laws require drivers to use only ATV-designated roads, use lights between the half hour after dusk and the half hour before dawn and register and title their vehicles.
ATVs can be exciting recreational vehicles and vital farm tools, but can cause serious injury or death when used incorrectly. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving an ATV, please contact an experienced personal injury attorney.
