OFF THE ROAD AGAIN : Unsafe at Any Speed? : Injuries, Deaths Spark Debate on ATV Safety
Relatively inexpensive and durable, the three-wheeled, all-terrain vehicle--complete with bloated tires and brightly colored frame--seems an invitation to a good time.
Consumers think so. From 1980 to 1985, the number of ATVs in use has ballooned from 136,000 to an estimated 2.1 million, giving the vehicles a firm niche in the off-road market.
But the ATV may become a victim of its own popularity. As sales have escalated in the past five years, so have the number of ATV-related deaths and injuries, prompting some to ask for a recall of the vehicles and a ban on ATV production.
By May 2, 1986, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission had reports of 485 ATV-related deaths and 185,300 injuries, which occurred between 1982 and 1986.
Of the 485 deaths, 217 of the victims (45%) were under 16 years old, and 97 (20%) were under 12. Only 54 of the deaths (11%) involved four-wheeled ATVs; the rest involved three-wheeled ATVs.
Some believe the three-wheeled ATV, predominantly used for recreation, is dangerous by design.
A report released July 17 by the House Government Operations Committee alleges that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has failed in its responsibility to protect the public by not using its ample enforcement powers to ban and recall ATVs.
Stuart M. Statler, a former CPSC commissioner, also believes the vehicles should be banned and recalled.
Manufacturers of ATVs, however, say the vehicle is safe and that most accidents are caused by rider misuse. They believe the mishaps can be avoided by better educating the consumer about proper safety procedures and riding techniques.
Many owners and riders of ATVs have said the only thing dangerous about the vehicle is the rider on it.
The safety commission concludes its 1 1/2-year evaluation of ATVs this fall. The commission has spent $2 million on the investigation, which includes a look at technical and engineering aspects of the vehicle, injury studies, human factor studies and market and exposure studies.
The commission, which is scheduled to release its findings Sept. 30, has the authority to recall and ban ATVs.
Statler, who resigned as commissioner of the CPSC June 1 to become vice president of a management consulting firm in Virginia, already has made his conclusions. In a letter to Sen. John C. Danforth (R-Mo.), chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, dated May 23, he warned Danforth of the imminent dangers of the three-wheeled ATV.
“The skyrocketing popularity of ATVs over the last several years has been accompanied by an even greater surge in severe injuries,” Statler wrote. “Deaths have escalated, too. . . . Frankly, I’ve not seen anything like it for any product hazard in my seven years serving as Commissioner of this agency.”
According to Statler, three-wheeled ATVs are unusually prone, because of their design and use, to flipping, tipping and rolling over. Many accidents, he wrote, result from an abrupt change in the equilibrium of the vehicle, even at low speeds. He added that ATVs are very unforgiving of even the slightest human error.
“To ride an ATV properly, as in negotiating a turn, a rider must frequently underweight one rear wheel and overweight the other, while precariously unbalancing himself off the edge of the seat,” Statler said in his letter. “That is to say, to ride a three-wheeled ATV correctly, one must cause the ATV to become unstable.”
Statler believes that all the training and educating in the world won’t overcome the vehicle’s basic design defects. Nor will protective equipment.
“There is sufficient evidence presently before us to justify a ban or suspension on future three-wheeled ATV production and sales,” Statler wrote.
Kurt Antonius, manager of public relations for American Honda in Gardena, which controls about 60% of the ATV market, vehemently disagrees with Statler. Honda was the original manufacturer of three-wheel ATVs in 1970.
“We think it is an optimum design. . . . We don’t plan any change of design,” Antonius said. “No problems with the design have been shown.”
Many ATV riders interviewed believe the vehicle is safe.
“I think with proper experience, instruction and reasonable caution, they’re as safe as motorcycles or bicycles, or as crossing the street,” said Glenn Kerr of Costa Mesa, who has been riding ATVs for 10 years.
Added Emanuel Lepe of Los Angeles: “It’s a stable machine. It’s safe as long as you don’t get crazy on it.”
That’s the real problem, according to manufacturers and riders.
“The biggest problem I see is that a lot of people buy a big machine, they want to get on it right away, and they’re in over their head before they get it off the trailer,” Kerr said.
Too many people either aren’t reading the safety manuals and the warning stickers on the vehicles or simply aren’t adhering to manufacturers’ safety specifications.
Three-wheeled ATVs are designed exclusively for one person and for off-road use. Operators are advised to wear a helmet and protective clothing (heavy boots, goggles and gloves) and not to consume alcohol while riding. Children are supposed to be supervised by an adult.
Yet, a safety commission study, which evaluated 29,200 ATV-related accidents that occurred between May 1, 1985, and July 15, 1985, revealed that:
- 20% of the injured persons were passengers.
- 56% of the injured wore no protective equipment.
- 19% of the drivers were under 12.
- 7% of the accidents occurred on paved roads.
After receiving reports of increasing numbers of injuries in Alaska, the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control analyzed 20 deaths involving three-wheeled ATVs in Alaska from January, 1983, to December, 1984. It concluded that:
- Of the fatalities, 60% might have been prevented had the riders been wearing a helmet.
- Alcohol use was detected or highly suspected as the major contributing cause of the fatal crash for 12 of 15 drivers and 3 of 5 passengers.
Alaska ranks 10th in the nation in number of ATV-related deaths from 1982-86. California, with 30 deaths in that period, ranks first.
“None of us concur with the allegations that ATVs are inherently unsafe,” said Bob Ham, a lobbyist with the Off-Road Vehicle Legislative Coalition in Sacramento. “Like any machine, it requires someone who has been properly trained to operate it. People are too anxious to get on the machine, but if they’d take time to read the owner’s manual, they’d have some good riding tips.”
The manufacturers have distributed ATV safety brochures to schools, government agencies and dealers. Honda has developed two national television commercials during the past 2 1/2 years aimed at the importance of safety equipment and parental supervision.
ATV-related deaths appear to be down this year. The safety commission had received only 20 reports of fatal accidents by May 2, but the injury rate appears the same between Jan. 1 and May 31. The commission reports an estimated 35,000 ATV-related injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms nationwide.
The four principal ATV manufacturers--Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki--formed the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America in 1983. Based in Costa Mesa, the organization addresses safety and environmental issues that face the ATV market.
The institute has 800 instructors nationwide who are qualified to teach a one-day rider education course. A rider can call a toll-free number (1-800-447-4700) to get the name and address of the closest ATV instructor.
Only 5,000 of an estimated 5 million ATV riders (.1%) took the course in 1985.
“The current road block we’re facing is the lack of interest on the part of the consumers in properly preparing themselves to ride the ATVs,” SVIA President Alan Isley said.
In California, an ATV must be registered with the Dept. of Motor Vehicles, but a license is not required to operate the vehicle. Isley is trying to change that.
The institute has drafted a bill recommending that all ATV riders be licensed or certified by a state agency. It also would require helmet use, and would prohibit use of alcohol and drugs while riding, carrying passengers, and use on streets and highways.
Isley is searching for a state congressman or senator to sponsor the bill, and he hopes it will pass during the first six months of 1987.
“We think it’s very important for anyone considering the purchase of an ATV to take our course, watch the safety videos, read the safety manuals and approach ATVs with a degree of caution,” Isley said.
“They’re not as easy to ride as they may look like on the showroom floor.”
ATV Injuries
Year Number 1986* 35,000 1985 85,900 1984 63,900 1983 26,900 1982 8,600 Total 185,300
* Though May 31 ATVC Deaths
Year Number 1986 20* 1985 223 1984 136 1983 80 1982 26 Total 485**
* Through May 2 ** 89% on three-wheel ATVs; 11% on four-wheel ATVs.
