Arizona ATV Rollover Accidents And Injuries
In Arizona, owning and riding an ATV is almost a way of life. With so much room to enjoy these all-terrain vehicles, many residents of the state own them. Maybe you spend your free time throughout the year exploring the beautiful scenery and exhilarating ATV rides available just outside your door. But with riding an ATV come many responsibilities. ATV rollover accidents and injuries happen far too often to ignore your own need to ride safely.
According to Arizona state law, you must follow your regional regulations for ATV operation, including riding only where permitted by law. You also must use appropriate safety gear. Children, in particular experience extreme vulnerability to ATV accidents and injuries.
Recent Improvements in ATV Design
In 1988, ATV accidents occurred so frequently and with such extreme injury that these “three wheeler” vehicles of that time were banned for ten years. The ban came after so many injuries and fatalities occurred that the government forced manufacturers and designers to change the vehicles for safety.
After this time period, design changed for most models to feature four wheels. This provides greater stability and encourages far fewer rollover ATV accidents and injuries. Those rollovers were initially believed to cause the highest number of deaths and serious injuries, when ATVs had only three wheels. But the Consumer Product Safety Commission later noted that driver behavior, human errors and improper technique caused the bulk of the accidents, not design flaws.
ATV Design Improvements Provide Greater Safety
Due to the early ATV ban, today’s ATVs feature many design changes. Of course, the vehicles maintain their low center of gravity and low pressure tires meant for rough terrain and unpaved trails. To meet riders’ needs, the vehicle tires feature deep grooves. These grooves enable easy riding over muddy and rocky terrain, as you find in Arizona. Some ATV models also offer side-by-side seat configurations. But most ATVs still only provide seating for one person over the engine.
Today’s ATVs provide less risk of serious accidents or injuries than motorcycles. But many riders still take excessive risks due to their false sense of security. Others act with bravado, taking risks they should not. The biggest danger is still inherent in an ATV rollover accident, that of rider exposure. Because no seatbelts or passenger compartments exist to protect riders like automobile passengers, the basic ATV design leaves you vulnerable to the vehicle, your decisions, other riders and location of your ride.
Even ATVs with safety cages still cause debilitating injuries during a rollover. Many people suffer crushed limbs, torso or head. A common injury for ATV riders after a rollover is a traumatic brain injury, one of the most severe and life-changing injuries you can suffer.
Rider misuse leads to most ATV accidents. Often, people choose to ride ATVs not suited to their age and weight. This puts young riders at risk in particular, with people under the age of 16 riding these vehicles alone or as a passenger. Many kids suffer injuries when their vehicle loses control or rolls over. Other young people suffer injuries after riding as a passenger on a single-rider model. More than one third of ATV accident injuries affect children younger than 16.
Common ATV Accident Injuries
Common injuries of ATV accidents include:
- Burns
- Abrasions
- Bruising
- Concussions
- Broken bones
- Dislocations
- Cuts, punctures and lacerations
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Whiplash
Not wearing a helmet, making poor decisions, ignoring age and weight warnings and improper seating top the list of ATV accident injury causes.
Most Frequent Causes of ATV Rollovers
The most frequent causes of ATV rollovers include:
- High ATV center of gravity
- Narrow track width
- Quick driver acceleration
- Poor driver control over steering
- Improper use, handling or maneuvering
Call an ATV Rollover Attorney after Your ATV Accident
Suffering injuries in an ATV accident changes your life. Many of these injuries provide a lifelong reminder of your mental and physical trauma. Although many accidents on ATVs start with driver errors or poor judgment, many also occur out of negligence. Your ATV may possess design flaws, manufacturing defects or other problems that caused your accident or ATV rollover.
After you suffer injuries in an ATV rollover or accident, call an experienced personal injury lawyer. Through a free, no-obligation consultation you can understand your case potential and whether you should seek compensatory damages for the costs of your ATV accident.
