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Dangerous Speed

ATV Off-Roading at 75 Miles an Hour: A Joy Ride or Invitation to Disaster?

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Choosing the proper speed for your off-roading adventure is an important decision. Although ATVs with powerful engines can go as fast as 75 miles an hour, maximum speed and optimum speed are not always the same. Your decision about how fast to go should be based upon:

  • Your vehicle. Make sure to read the owner’s manual, understand exactly how controls and mechanical features work, and conduct a pre-trip inspection to make sure everything is in top working order.

You should also check out your vehicle’s safety record and the manufacturer’s history of retrofit orders and/or recalls. For example, some models of the Yamaha Rhino® ATV, also called a UTV or utility terrain vehicle, have been responsible for at least 30 deaths because of defective design.

  • The terrain.  Staying on existing trails, especially those that you have traversed before, can contribute to a steady speed and a smooth ride. Make sure to look ahead for changes in terrain or obstacles in order to have plenty of time to reduce your speed if necessary.
  • Visibility.  It is only common sense that if your visibility is restricted or impaired – by rain or fog, for example – you will have to reduce your speed. Make sure that you are wearing goggles that protect your eyes but do not obstruct your vision.
  • Operating conditions. Weather is an important factor in determining a safe speed. Snow, rain, and fog are obvious impediments to speed. But even full sun can be a problem when the lack of shadows limits your ability to see potential road hazards.
  • Your experience. Tempting as it may be to jump on your ATV and head out full-throttle, gain some experience before pouring on the speed. After a while, you will find a comfortable speed that permits you to enjoy the full measure of your ride while still anticipating – and reacting to – unexpected hazards.

Why is speed such an important consideration in riding an ATV? Unfortunately, we cannot ask the hundreds of adults and children who die each year, or the hundreds of thousands more who are injured. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports 8,996 deaths from ATV accidents between 1982 and December 2007; 2,497 (28%) of these were children under 16. An additional 150,900 were injured, and 40,000 (27%) of these were children. In one CPSC study where speed could be determined, 75% of the deaths could be attributed to speed too fast for the conditions.

Related Links:
http://www.atvsafety.org
http://www.cpsc.gov/library/atv2007.pdf