You're less likely to get injured while riding your ATV than your bicycle? Who'd have thunk it! Perhaps we don't deserve that reputation for recklessness after all.
Or perhaps the ongoing message of responsible ATV riding has really been received by it's target audience. All across the USA and Canada, thousands of ATV suppliers, and clubs have teamed up with state DNRs and forestry divisions to find a way to work together to keep ATV trails open for riders everywhere. As a result, ATV riders have become not only safety conscious, but environmentally conscious as well, to everyone's benefit.
Safety gear is no longer looked at as restricting and uncool. Helmets are required on virtually every ATV trail, and chest plates, goggles and padding have become the norm, not the exception. Hot dogging on ATV trails, and restricted off road areas is no longer glorified, and even extreme ATV enthusiasts take all the safety precautions seriously. Let's look at some comparisons between sports.
According to a Consumer Product Safety Commission report, ATV related injuries were lower per capita than traditional sports like football, basketball, baseball and softball. Even bicycle enthusiasts have a higher rate of injury. The information was compiled from data gathered by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from a sampling of 99 hospitals across the country.
So, while it is possible to receive a serious injury while riding your ATV, ATV riders are showing a lot of responsibility in keep the trails safe for everyone, and now we have the proof to back that up.
