Wickedfinger
01-05-2004, 12:07 AM
Personally, I believe this article is just a bunch of misrepresented facts but you make your own conclusions.
Data: ATV roadway wrecks almost always fatal
Lou Rom
lrom@smgpo.gannett.com
October 21, 2003
LAFAYETTE — Sunday’s death of Cedric Paul Bellard proved locally what safety experts have stressed nationally for years –– riding an all-terrain vehicle on a public roadway equates to a death wish.
Bellard, 32, died Sunday when he was thrown from an ATV he was driving after hitting a large pothole on Babineaux Road in Lawtell.
Fewer than one half of one percent of all ATV-related accidents end in death. But add the blacktop and stripes of a public roadway to the mix, and the death rate is nearly 96 percent, according to statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Last year, 264 ATV crashes on public roadways killed 250 drivers and passengers in the United States, according to the safety administration. Annual statistics on Louisiana were unavailable for this report.
Mike Shea, owner of Gravity Alley Motocross in Breaux Bridge, said that he was somewhat surprised that ATV drivers involved in accidents on public roads almost always die.
Just last month, Shea became certified by the ATV Safety Institute to teach safety classes. He said that perhaps Sunday’s fatality would motivate drivers to take safety classes with him or other Acadiana instructors.
“There are so many ATVs out there, and people are not using them for what they were intended for, which is (for) off-road,” said Shea. “But taking the courses really enlightens (drivers).”
And while ATVs grow in popularity, the death toll grows, too: In 2001, 235 crashes killed 225 people; and in 2000, 215 crashes killed 210 people.
ATVs are much more dangerous on pavement because they have no rear differential, which makes them more difficult to turn and easier to roll over, said Ken Giles, spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal agency that works to reduce death and injury.
“An ATV has a solid rear axle; this is how it gets its traction out in the mud. They have trouble maneuvering … on high-friction surfaces like concrete or asphalt. That’s why you shouldn’t ride it on the pavement,” said Giles.
Kinney Kidder, a salesman for Motion Cycle in Lafayette, said that people should respect the rules of the road.
“Everybody needs to know that these are designed as off-road vehicles,” said Kidder, who has sold ATVs and motorcycles for over 20 years.
Kidder said that too many parents think ATVs are safer than motorcycles, when in fact they can be more dangerous.
“There’s a misconception that, because it’s four wheels, it’s safer than a two-wheeler, and for the most part that’s wrong,” said Kidder. A 50 cc four-wheeler such as the Yamaha YFM 50 weighs 237 pounds, while the Yamaha PW50, a motorcycle, weighs just 82 pounds, he said.
In addition to common sense, safety precautions such as helmets, goggles and boots, all ATV riders should heed one all-important bit of advice:
“The biggest thing I can emphasize is keeping them on the proper-size machines for their age,” he said.
At a glance:
The ATV Safety Institute recommends the following vehicle/engine sizes for riders:
Age 6 and older: Under 70cc
12 and older: 70cc to 90cc
16 and older: Over 90cc
To learn more:
For ATV training classes in your area, call the ATV Safety Institute at (800) 887-2887.
At a glance:
Last year, more than 847,000 ATVs were sold nationwide, a five-fold increase in sales since 1993. More than 15 million Americans ride ATVs.
In Louisiana, 110 people –– in both on –– and off-road accidents –– died in ATV crashes over the last 20 years
A full 96 percent of ATV crashes on public roadways ended in death between 2000 and 2002.
In 2001, about 540 people – or one half of one percent – of approximately 111,000 ATV drivers and passengers involved in accidents died. Those statistics represent people who sought medical treatment for injuries sustained in crashes and is historically under-reported.
SOURCE: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the ATV Safety Institute
Data: ATV roadway wrecks almost always fatal
Lou Rom
lrom@smgpo.gannett.com
October 21, 2003
LAFAYETTE — Sunday’s death of Cedric Paul Bellard proved locally what safety experts have stressed nationally for years –– riding an all-terrain vehicle on a public roadway equates to a death wish.
Bellard, 32, died Sunday when he was thrown from an ATV he was driving after hitting a large pothole on Babineaux Road in Lawtell.
Fewer than one half of one percent of all ATV-related accidents end in death. But add the blacktop and stripes of a public roadway to the mix, and the death rate is nearly 96 percent, according to statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Last year, 264 ATV crashes on public roadways killed 250 drivers and passengers in the United States, according to the safety administration. Annual statistics on Louisiana were unavailable for this report.
Mike Shea, owner of Gravity Alley Motocross in Breaux Bridge, said that he was somewhat surprised that ATV drivers involved in accidents on public roads almost always die.
Just last month, Shea became certified by the ATV Safety Institute to teach safety classes. He said that perhaps Sunday’s fatality would motivate drivers to take safety classes with him or other Acadiana instructors.
“There are so many ATVs out there, and people are not using them for what they were intended for, which is (for) off-road,” said Shea. “But taking the courses really enlightens (drivers).”
And while ATVs grow in popularity, the death toll grows, too: In 2001, 235 crashes killed 225 people; and in 2000, 215 crashes killed 210 people.
ATVs are much more dangerous on pavement because they have no rear differential, which makes them more difficult to turn and easier to roll over, said Ken Giles, spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal agency that works to reduce death and injury.
“An ATV has a solid rear axle; this is how it gets its traction out in the mud. They have trouble maneuvering … on high-friction surfaces like concrete or asphalt. That’s why you shouldn’t ride it on the pavement,” said Giles.
Kinney Kidder, a salesman for Motion Cycle in Lafayette, said that people should respect the rules of the road.
“Everybody needs to know that these are designed as off-road vehicles,” said Kidder, who has sold ATVs and motorcycles for over 20 years.
Kidder said that too many parents think ATVs are safer than motorcycles, when in fact they can be more dangerous.
“There’s a misconception that, because it’s four wheels, it’s safer than a two-wheeler, and for the most part that’s wrong,” said Kidder. A 50 cc four-wheeler such as the Yamaha YFM 50 weighs 237 pounds, while the Yamaha PW50, a motorcycle, weighs just 82 pounds, he said.
In addition to common sense, safety precautions such as helmets, goggles and boots, all ATV riders should heed one all-important bit of advice:
“The biggest thing I can emphasize is keeping them on the proper-size machines for their age,” he said.
At a glance:
The ATV Safety Institute recommends the following vehicle/engine sizes for riders:
Age 6 and older: Under 70cc
12 and older: 70cc to 90cc
16 and older: Over 90cc
To learn more:
For ATV training classes in your area, call the ATV Safety Institute at (800) 887-2887.
At a glance:
Last year, more than 847,000 ATVs were sold nationwide, a five-fold increase in sales since 1993. More than 15 million Americans ride ATVs.
In Louisiana, 110 people –– in both on –– and off-road accidents –– died in ATV crashes over the last 20 years
A full 96 percent of ATV crashes on public roadways ended in death between 2000 and 2002.
In 2001, about 540 people – or one half of one percent – of approximately 111,000 ATV drivers and passengers involved in accidents died. Those statistics represent people who sought medical treatment for injuries sustained in crashes and is historically under-reported.
SOURCE: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the ATV Safety Institute