All-terrain vehicles or ATVs are often called toys for adults. People get rowdy when riding ATVs and may engage in unsafe behavior, like driving after drinking or trying maneuvers that are clearly unsafe.

People often assume that if something goes wrong, they will just fall off of the ATV like they would a bicycle. However, an accident on an ATV is much closer to a crash on a motorcycle than an accident on a bicycle.

The machine itself can cause severe injury to the person riding on it, especially if there is a rollover incident. Unfortunately, irresponsible behavior on ATVs and potentially poor product design combine to make these devices deadly.

People die every year because of ATVs in Colorado

According to data gathered by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 22 deaths caused by ATVs just in Colorado between 2015 and 2017. Although 22 people over the course of 3 years may not seem like much, that is slightly more than one death every other month.

Almost all of those deaths would be preventable with better safety practices by the drivers and more careful design by the companies manufacturing ATVs. When people don't understand how dangerous ATVs can be, they could easily get hurt. When they do, they may be at a loss for covering their costs.

ATV collisions aren't as straightforward as car crashes because there often won't be an insurance policy that applies directly to the vehicle. A person hurt on an ATV may need to make a claim against a property owner or even a negligent manufacturer to get compensation for the injuries they suffered on the losses those injuries caused. Recognizing how dangerous ATVs can be could help you stay safe or motivate you to seek justice for your injuries.