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Recreational use of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) is a favorite pastime for Americans across the nation. Despite their fun nature, the safety of OHVs have been heavily scrutinized as it remains a major cause of personal injury and deaths every year. With the ability to reach high speeds, a lack of safety equipment, and an uncontrolled environment, it’s easy to see why fatal incidents and resulting are so common.
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This analysis is based on data gathered by the CPSC and spans between 2018 to 2020. OHVs are divided into three categories:
ATVs are the most deadly type of off-highway vehicle accounting for 1,643 deaths. On average, there are 548 ATV deaths per year. In 2020, there were a total of 633 fatalities, surpassing the previous years’ average by nearly 30%.
The next leading vehicle type by fatalities is ROVs with 635 deaths, UTVs with 56, and 114 unknown (ROV or UTV). Combining these categories gives us a total of 805 side-by-side deaths, and an average of 268 side-by-side deaths per year.
Males are disproportionately represented in OHV-related fatalities. Of 2,448 deaths between 2018 and 2020, over 2,000 were males. This may likely be due to males taking heavier risks when operating an OHV compared to females.
There were 80,600 ATV related injuries that went treated by the emergency department. Out of all off-highway vehicles, ATVs accounted for 85% of total injuries.
Riders aged 55 and up accounted for 740 OHV fatalities. OHV users in this age range are 2.6x more likely to die than any other age group.
This study observed 6 of the most common hazards that lead to injuries and fatalities in all types of OHVs.
Also called “overturning,” overturns occur when the vehicle rolls forward, backward, sideways, or in an unknown direction. Forward and back overturns often occur when ascending or descending an incline. Sideways rollovers are often the result of a sharp turn typically caused by:
Overturns were the number one hazard for ATVs causing 38% of rider fatalities.
As the primary hazard in 37% of fatalities, collisions are another significant cause of ATV fatalities. Collision incidents generally involve vehicles colliding with stationary objects or with other vehicles.
Ejections are the type of hazard most commonly related to OHV fatalities. For ROVs, over 80% of the fatally injured were ejected from the vehicle. Similarly, ATVs do not have safety restraints so victims of fatal incidents typically did not remain seated after an accident.
In the late 1980s, manufacturers agreed to discontinue the production of 3-wheeled ATVs. It was determined that the 3-wheel design was unsafe after numerous fatalities. The inherent nature of 3 wheels made these vehicles especially prone to rollovers. If you or someone you love was injured by a faulty-designed OHV, consult with our Denver product liability attorney to hold manufacturers accountable.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney, K.C. Harpring, a Denver personal injury attorney with extensive legal expertise.
