Article: 3 Wheeler ATV Accident Reports

[TrailerRider]

You can view the page at http://www.3wheelerworld.com/content.php?263-3-Wheeler-ATV-Accident-Reports

[FourtyCaliber]

I see there are no comments on these 3 wheeler accident reports. I just read though every last one of them. Hasn't anyone else? Why wouldn't anyone leave a comment? Doesn't anyone think this is worth commenting on?

I've been into dirt bikes and ATCs my entire life. I've also had bicycles, skateboards, motorcycles, cars, sleds. You name it. I've had a crash of some kind on everything I've owned. Heck, I've even had a "crash" just going down my basement stairs when I knocked my head into the overhead beam at the bottom of the stairs. And I mean HARD! Knocked me out. I've even done the "dumb sh*t" that a lot of the dead people who were riding these 3 wheelers were doing at the time. And by this I mean drinking (or other) while riding. Or doing stupid things (stunts) on the trike. Yep, most of us have done stupid sh*t while riding, both sober and not so sober. Are we lucky that we didn't have a fatal accident while doing so? You bet! But, what does that mean? Toyota cars aside, does it mean that when we run a red light and plow into the side of another car that it is the car's fault? Either car? Can any rational person truly believe that is the case? Of course not!

The bottom line is that most things that we do in life have an inherent risk of injury or death. By just driving your car through an intersection where you have the right-of-way, you run the risk EVERY DAY that someone else, traveling on the intersecting road, will blow that red light or stop sign and end your life, theirs, or maybe both. That can happen at anytime. And it does. Every day. Why aren't automobiles banned?
Anything carries risk. Its just the way it is.

After reading through the ATV accident reports its pretty clear to me that a lot more was at work than simply relying on accidents in order to come to a consensus to ban three-wheeled off-road vehicles. All that happened was the CPSC took the easy road to appease those hell bent on seeing the vehicles banned no matter what the accident reports conveyed. And the manufacturers, all of them, played a huge role in making that ban a reality. Why wouldn't they? They had nothing to lose really. In the deal making that happened in the back rooms, the manufacturers new that their next products would have four wheels. Its a win-win for them, really. They're still selling off-road vehicles, but now they have four wheels. Big deal. They're more expensive to make and have higher profit margins. Two wheels, three wheels, or four wheels, it wouldn't make any difference. If you drink and act stupid on it, you might die. If you blow stop signs on one and get broadsided by a pickup, you might die. The likelihood is no different. And I'm sure most of the legal payout to survivors of the deceased was under a class-action lawsuit, which really meant that once the legal bills were paid and the award divided up, it was merely a pittance.

Obviously, there was a lot of politics involved in the decision to ban three wheelers. One can see after reading through the accident reports, that that decision surely wasn't based on facts or reason. It was the easy way out.

[Billy Golightly]

I see there are no comments on these 3 wheeler accident reports. I just read though every last one of them. Hasn't anyone else? Why wouldn't anyone leave a comment? Doesn't anyone think this is worth commenting on?

I've been into dirt bikes and ATCs my entire life. I've also had bicycles, skateboards, motorcycles, cars, sleds. You name it. I've had a crash of some kind on everything I've owned. Heck, I've even had a "crash" just going down my basement stairs when I knocked my head into the overhead beam at the bottom of the stairs. And I mean HARD! Knocked me out. I've even done the "dumb sh*t" that a lot of the dead people who were riding these 3 wheelers were doing at the time. And by this I mean drinking (or other) while riding. Or doing stupid things (stunts) on the trike. Yep, most of us have done stupid sh*t while riding, both sober and not so sober. Are we lucky that we didn't have a fatal accident while doing so? You bet! But, what does that mean? Toyota cars aside, does it mean that when we run a red light and plow into the side of another car that it is the car's fault? Either car? Can any rational person truly believe that is the case? Of course not!

The bottom line is that most things that we do in life have an inherent risk of injury or death. By just driving your car through an intersection where you have the right-of-way, you run the risk EVERY DAY that someone else, traveling on the intersecting road, will blow that red light or stop sign and end your life, theirs, or maybe both. That can happen at anytime. And it does. Every day. Why aren't automobiles banned?
Anything carries risk. Its just the way it is.

After reading through the ATV accident reports its pretty clear to me that a lot more was at work than simply relying on accidents in order to come to a consensus to ban three-wheeled off-road vehicles. All that happened was the CPSC took the easy road to appease those hell bent on seeing the vehicles banned no matter what the accident reports conveyed. And the manufacturers, all of them, played a huge role in making that ban a reality. Why wouldn't they? They had nothing to lose really. In the deal making that happened in the back rooms, the manufacturers new that their next products would have four wheels. Its a win-win for them, really. They're still selling off-road vehicles, but now they have four wheels. Big deal. They're more expensive to make and have higher profit margins. Two wheels, three wheels, or four wheels, it wouldn't make any difference. If you drink and act stupid on it, you might die. If you blow stop signs on one and get broadsided by a pickup, you might die. The likelihood is no different. And I'm sure most of the legal payout to survivors of the deceased was under a class-action lawsuit, which really meant that once the legal bills were paid and the award divided up, it was merely a pittance.

Obviously, there was a lot of politics involved in the decision to ban three wheelers. One can see after reading through the accident reports, that that decision surely wasn't based on facts or reason. It was the easy way out.

I think that is a great reply concerning the issue. When Richard first posted these reports and I started reading through them myself, I was completely dumbfounded. If anything is to blame, its the lack of intelligence on the part of the rider in 99% of the cases. Maybe I'll even go out on a limb and say ALL of the cases.

Please stay tuned to this section, as we have a lot more information on the Consent Decree and the CPSC coming in the near future.

[TrailerRider]

I think that is a great reply concerning the issue. When Richard first posted these reports and I started reading through them myself, I was completely dumbfounded. If anything is to blame, its the lack of intelligence on the part of the rider in 99% of the cases. Maybe I'll even go out on a limb and say ALL of the cases.

Please stay tuned to this section, as we have a lot more information on the Consent Decree and the CPSC coming in the near future.

I will give a background as to why I requested the reports. Simply put I wanted to know why they were considered death traps. I ride them and I feel safer on them vs quads and dirt bikes. A lot of people criticize me for riding them and even supporting them. Some even get a little upset that I let my kids ride them. I hear all day long how bad these atv’s are. Till I decided to request the reports all I had ever heard was from people that where against them. Never a story or source for the hatred. Just a blind hate for them. Some even said they never rode one and never would/will. You ask why they hate them so much and they say things like: because they kill people. Like stated by FourtyCaliber people are killed every day by automobiles. Why are these not outlawed??? Same thing with the SUV and the Ford Bronco (my other love). People feel safer on bigger vehicles or in this case more wheels then a 2 wheeler. They drive thinking they can do anything and be safe. No. Plan and simple. Commonsense seems to fail a lot of people. It really is sad but people just do think. There is no fore thought. They just fail to use their brain. Then you get blood sucking lawyers looking to make a quick buck even if it is truth or not and schemes running in the background no one ever knows about. It just makes me ill.

Once I sat down and started reading the reports I was shocked. I than stopped and asked myself why was the 3 wheeler ban? If any normal thinking person was to read those reports, which by the way you can request for yourself at any time, they would say the same thing. The difference here is they would not say it in public for fear of being ridiculed for their opinion and rightfully so. I mean look if any of us who use or even own a 3 wheeler we are immediately called wacko’s. This is not a statement, it is FACT. I know because I am one of the said wacko’s. All because I choose to ride a 3 wheeled atv. I have brought up many times on the forums and in life the examples that are posted above and while they are completely true (referring to car wrecks etc..) they are still dismissed as “it is not the same things”. Dam how can you say it is not the same tings!?!?! They don’t outlaw suvs and quads and they kill people every day. The response it 9 times out of 10 “it just is”. How stupid is that. It is just those kinds of individuals that caused this whole mess. People looking to make money off someone else sorrow.

Does it make since to sew the company that makes the fork you put in your mouth because you jabbed your tongue? Hell no it doesn’t. Yet every day people jab their tongue or roof of their mouth. I have been in contact with the cpsc and I will have more data that will shock you all. Billy can attest to that. My whole goal was to educate the public with real world experience and truth. I am going to give one more example and then I am done. In a post I replied to on 3wheelmecca thesis, could you imaging the attention that would be brought up if 20/20 or 60 minutes did a 20 minute clip on “Where have the 3 wheelers been and where they really dangerous?” There would be such a public outcry to read those morbidity reports that it would take 3ww offline from a DoS. With that I say when the site is updated with all the coming news we should contact one of the news stations and ask them to run a story on them.

-Richard

[95PurpleHaze]

I'm amazed how many people weren't wearing helmets. The few I seen that were wearing helmets were doing something idiotic like going fast down a gravel road, or hitting a tree at full speed. In the words of my cousins dad "Society today doesn't allow people to be stupid anymore. It's someone elses fault that you're an idiot."

[YAMAHA_Jim]

My bad for not seeing this earlier.I read 20 or so. I take responsibility for my own actions,choice of terrain and riding skills.:) Ron White-You can't fix stupid.

[riverrat]

15 YEAR OLD MALE SUSTAINED A LACERATION TO HIS HAND AND BRUISES TO | HIS LOWER LEG AND ELBOW WHEN HIS 3 WHEELED ATV COLLIDED WITH A 4 | WHEELED ATY. THEY WERE RIDING OUT IN A FIELD WHEN THE 4 WHEELER CUT| IN FRONT OF THE VICTIM AND HIS 3 WHEELED ATV OVERTURNED. HE WAS | TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE EMERGENCY ROOM. |

DAM 4 wheelers

[riverrat]

A 16 YEAR OLD MALE STUDENT WAS DRIVING HIS 3 WHEEL RECREATIONAL ATV |DOWN AN EMBANKMENT ALONGSIDE A CREEK. HIS 11 YEAR OLD SISTER WAS |RIDING DOUBLE BEHIND HIM. WHEN THE DRIVER NEARED THE WATER, HE |BRAKED. THE WHEELS SKIDDED ON THE MUDDY SURFACE AND THE VEHICLE |ROLLED OVER SIDEWAYS ONTO HIS CHEST. HIS SISTER WAS THROWN INTO |THE CREEK WHERE SHE DROWNED. THE DRIVER'S INJURIES WERE SUPERFICIAL.|

3 wheelers cause drownings.....OBVIOUSLY.
These reports make me angry, I am going to stop reading them.

[riverrat]

Ok, I lied


THE OPERATOR OF A THREE-WHEELED ATV BECAME A THROWN RIDER WHEN THE |VEHICLE BEGAN TO BOUNCE AFTER THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL OF HIS ATV RAN UP |OVER THE LEFT REAR WHEEL OF ANOTHER ATV. |

They should OBVIOUSLY make them to be impervious to bouncing after collision.....

[riverrat]

Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet, Not wearing a helmet, Victim was not wearing a helmet,

ALCOHOL WAS INVOLVED.

Good night.

[riverrat]

TWO TEENAGE BROTHERS DRIVING ILLEGALLY-OBTAINED MOTORCYCLES IN THE |DARK, WITHOUT LIGHTS, ON A ASPHALT ROAD MET A 3-WHEEL ATV AS IT CAME |AROUND A CURVE. THE FIRST MOTORCYCLE COLLIDED HEAD-ON WITH THE ATV. |THE DRIVER OF THE ATV WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCI- |DENT. THE DRIVER OF THE MOTORCYCLE WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH INJURIES.

Surely 4 wheelers would save you from this uncertain fate.

[TrailerRider]

Glad to see people are reading them now, better late than never I always say. Here is the original thread I started when I received the reports:
http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/78045-Another-WTF-banned-3-wheeler?highlight=Another+WTF+thread

Maybe one day that thread will be a sticky :)

[LastFoolerInVA]

I've been in my fair share of 3 wheeler accidents.... never once was it the machines fault... other that the fact that it would go forward when I pressed the thumb throttle... soo danagerous.. they should get that fixed...lol

[clintonnelms]

Wear your protective gear, safety check the bike before riding and when you get that "i'm getting scared" feeling, slow down...I have only been seriously injured once on any atv and it was completely my fault, in fact I remember waking up from being knocked out (I was wearing a helmet) to my dad yelling "I told you not to ride through the tall grass!!!"

[Daveand78]

I was only 9 or 10 when ATCs got banned, so I heard all of the negative press, but never knew how the accident reports read. It is clear that most of the incident reports don't prove that ATCs are dangerous, but that there are a bunch of people that took risks while riding their ATCs. I crashed my 1985 Kawasaki 160 three wheeler and broke my shoulder. I never blamed my three wheeler for my accident.Anyway, I just laugh when people tell me that ATCs are dangerous.

[HappyTrail]

Can't seem to open the reports to read yet but I gotta say 2 things. In my opinion 2 wheelers are more dangerous than 3. Try this side by side kickstands up. Let go of the handlebars. Oh my the 2 Wheeler fell over. Maybe we should ban them. Secondly trikes don't kill people do. I'm sure that's been said a billion times but come on people. I could go on for hours on this. I ride my tike loud and proud...

[dougspcs]

Can't seem to open the reports to read yet but I gotta say 2 things. In my opinion 2 wheelers are more dangerous than 3. Try this side by side kickstands up. Let go of the handlebars. Oh my the 2 Wheeler fell over. Maybe we should ban them. Secondly trikes don't kill people do. I'm sure that's been said a billion times but come on people. I could go on for hours on this. I ride my tike loud and proud...

I'm sure there are stats out there that can interpreted to agree with any statement you wish to make..but to say 2 wheels is more dangerous than 3 is like saying a 45 is more dangerous than a shot gun.

It doesn't really matter, they all have the potential to kill..percentage points of risk is meaningless.

All things that are inherently dangerous require training, practice and common sense..

To single out any one dangerous item is ignorance. Stop the ignorance..this is the message!!

[Jwmajic]

The atv manufacturers solved the lawsuit problem by putting waring labels on their products ( no one under 16 do not ride double ect.) I wonder why they can bring back the trikes with the new warning labels. What about making the people who buy trikes sign a wavier saying they won't sue if they get hurt and bear responsibility if they resale the trike?

[sammiefish]

quote: "72 YEAR OLD MALE SUSTAINED WHIPLASH WHEN HE WAS STOPPED AT A RED | LIGHT ON HIS ON-ROAD 3 WHEELER. HE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY A MOTOR | VEHICLE. THE DRIVER OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE WAS 18 AND HAD BEEN | TEXTING. HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE EMERGENCY ROOM. " Im confused, I thought these were reports of atc/v being at fault... im not sure someone should be in traffic at a red light on the atc... uhhh... but how is this the fault of either the atc or the driver of the atc..... hmmmm... last I checked... motor vehicle drivers are not supposed to run over stuff in front of them....bananas very good read though... even in an accident that is really just an accident ... protective equip can help alot... again, very good read...

[Jwmajic]

Any time your on a bike you should always be looking out for the cages it don't matter who's at fault if your dead.


quote: "72 YEAR OLD MALE SUSTAINED WHIPLASH WHEN HE WAS STOPPED AT A RED | LIGHT ON HIS ON-ROAD 3 WHEELER. HE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY A MOTOR | VEHICLE. THE DRIVER OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE WAS 18 AND HAD BEEN | TEXTING. HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE EMERGENCY ROOM. " Im confused, I thought these were reports of atc/v being at fault... im not sure someone should be in traffic at a red light on the atc... uhhh... but how is this the fault of either the atc or the driver of the atc..... hmmmm... last I checked... motor vehicle drivers are not supposed to run over stuff in front of them....bananas very good read though... even in an accident that is really just an accident ... protective equip can help alot... again, very good read...

[ColtonGG33]

27 YEAR OLD MALE WAS RIDING HIS THREE WHEELER THRU A FIELD. THE | TRANSMISSION WAS SHAFT DRIVE, WITH A FOOT CLUTCH. HE WAS STUCK | BETWEEN GEAR TWO AND THREE. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY SHIFTED | TO THIRD, THE THREE WHEELER STOOD UP ON ITS REAR TIRES. THE VICTIM | WAS ABLE TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE THE 3 WHEELER OVERTURNED | BACKWARDS. HE SUSTAINED A BRUISED HIP. HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED| FROM THE EMERGENCY ROOM. |


LOL this happens to me almost everyday :)

[Howdy]

ColtonGG33, Please read the rules.

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/65055-The-RULES

Do not post in all caps! It makes your posts difficult to read and is known as shouting on the internet. You might think it'll save you time to keep from punctuating and capitalizing your sentences, but please don't do it.


Typing in all caps is considered yelling on the internet and is also considered rude.
Thanks
Howdy

[ColtonGG33]

hi howdy you do know that i just copied from the document, i am not gonna waste my time to make it all lower caps that would take awhile. and not to be mean or anything but righting in caps is not rude, caps is also used for excitement and other things.

[ColtonGG33]

and why would you get on me about caps, because alot of other people on this post put caps in

[Howdy]

I pointed it out because most of your reply was in all caps. I didn't single you out either. When I see a post / reply in all ( or mostly all ) caps I point out the forum rules. When the rules were put into place all caps was considered Yelling and rude.
Here is a good read: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/do-not-use-all-capitals.html

I understand about copying from the article as well. But it don't make it any better.
FYI, No warnings or infractions were issued. I mearly pointed out or forum rules.
Cheers
Howdy

[trike savior]

well i think we should all pause a second and reflect on those our fallen fellow three wheeled enthusiasts. if there is one thing to be learned by reading these it is wear a helmet and be responsible. the one that struck me the most was one of the ones from illinois. the kid didnt die but it begins the 2 year old male. who puts a 2 year old on anything motorized by themself. thats ridiculouson another note where do they get these from. police reports? emergency room paper work? only say cause they missed my separated shoulder. and this idiot was not wearing a helmet at the time. some of these people died in a very similar situation and at less speed. i got a second chance and though some of these people were wearing helmets and died. it is still worth it to wear one because it increases your chances dramatically.

[desert drifter]

i live in the desert milage wize i been around the world twice on three wheels ride smart ;)

[tri again]

I dislocated my kneecap getting off a stopped, non running trike when
my foot hit and slipped on some hidden dogsh*&.
NO joke.
I had taken my helmet off too soon and smacked my noggin on the tank on the way down.

I wonder if that's on the list of hospital visits?
As I read reports last night, it seem like all accidents are simply grouped into
off road machines and not divided into 3 or 4 wheels that I could see.

Lots o' heartache cause by idiot parents flipping quads / whatever with kids on their laps
or on the back.
So very sad, for sure.
Maybe warning sticker should be used for birth control on some people.

[LastFoolerInVA]

ColtonGG33, Please read the rules.
http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/65055-The-RULES
Typing in all caps is considered yelling on the internet and is also considered rude.
Thanks
Howdy

umm howdy.. every post that quoted the report... has the report in all caps... so.....

[Tri-zDHS]

i just read the CPSC report on the ATVs. Come to find out more people die every year or quads then in the 5 years atc were in production. I cant wait to tell this to every retard that tells me why do u ride a 3 wheeler those thing are so unsafe

[rooster1]

What do you get when you mix lowers fighting over big money lawsuits and politicians?Ill give you 3 guesses.

[88RGuy]

this stuff is depressing to read.. cud u imagine what kinda atc honda or any of them wud have by now??? 48mm stock forks, 300 powervalve motor?? sign me up.. lol.. seriously tho,, sucks so many people got hurt and or killed from stupidity or negligence... the dealers shoulda had em sign wavers.. haha... it was inevitable with the push of the quads that came anyway... theres no riding experince a person can get, like an atc experience.. period.. happy trails everyone !!

[judge1959]

I've been in my fair share of 3 wheeler accidents.... never once was it the machines fault... other that the fact that it would go forward when I pressed the thumb throttle... soo danagerous.. they should get that fixed...lol

i flipped my 200x backwards dragging a 4-wheeler back up a creek bank after they rolled it into the creek. flipping mine was my fault- i FORGOT TO LEAN FORWARD TO PUT WEIGHT ON THE FRONT-END OF MINE TO KEEP FRONT-END DOWN.

[Pickup_man]

Just read through a few of these for the first time. Didn't make it through all the reports but I did make it through a few and read the comments and I have a few points to make. But first things first, I love 3-wheelers, I've ridden several from big to small and currently own a 200x, I never want to own a 4 wheeler again, I am a genuine enthusiast. Now, my points.

1. The accident reports do not place blame on either the rider or the ATC, they are simply statements of facts regarding the accidents that occurred. Any blame for the rider or the ATC is left up to the interpretation of the reader. For all of us here we know better than to blame the trike, but for an outsider with no exposure to 3-wheelers it is very easy to make the assumption that the 3-wheeler was the cause of the accident. It is especially easy to make these assumptions when there are no accident reports involving 4-wheelers for direct comparison.

2. Three wheeled vehicles (where the single wheel is in the front) have always been and will always be more unstable while cornering than a 4 wheeler of equal width. It's basic physics and weight transfer. Does this make 3-wheelers more dangerous? That's up to you, but I say no.

3. Always wear proper gear, in many of these cases it would have saved lives. None of us are perfect about wearing proper gear %100 of the time but when you go out know the consequences of your decisions and be prepared to pay them.

4. Don't drink and ride, if you need this explained to you, you shouldn't be riding sober either.

[sh68cobra]

speaking of the triangle and cube, take one of each of equal size set them side by side and flick them with your finger, what happens? the triangle will always right it's self and the cube will fall over. I have tried this and it works.