By:  LINDSEY O’NEILL, ESQ.

What’s the picture in your mind when you think of riding an ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle)?  Sunny afternoon, summer, laughing, kids riding ATVs on beach dunes by the ocean?  Or even a rockin’ racing session?  How about riding through an ATV park on trails and hillsides?  Joy, bliss, fun, excitement! 

What you probably didn’t picture, though, is the other side of it – the accidents, the injuries….. the deaths. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a safety alert for All-Terrain Vehicles because too many riders have died or experienced life-altering injuries from accidents involving ATVs.  In recent years, the number of ATV injuries is reportedly in the hundreds of thousands  – and about one-third of all deaths and injuries involve victims under the age of 16.  (See:  ATVSafety.gov)

While riders can certainly take care in observing safety precautions (like wearing a proper helmet, taking an ATV safety training course, avoiding riding with passengers or tandem, etc.), some ATVs may have simply been poorly manufactured.  Click here for a list of the latest ATV recalls.

To help prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths, ATVSafety.gov reports that 44 states have already passed ATV safety laws of one form or another, with each statute tailored to meet the needs of its particular region and constituency.  Click here to learn more about the laws in your state.

Finally, if you’ve been involved in an ATV accident or injury situation, contact an attorney who is experienced in this particular field.  LawInfo recently launched a new ATV Accidents center on its website – check it out: LawInfo’s ATV Accidents web center.   Also, find ATV professionals who can be interviewed as ATV accident reconstruction experts.

By all means, have fun….  just be safe.  And if you get into trouble, contact an attorney to learn more about how to protect your legal rights.