Info About ATVs

All Terrain Vehicles run on low pressure tires, has a seat for one person and has handlebars for steering the vehicle. These vehicles, as evidenced by their name, are used for off-road adventures through the muck, the mud and the earthy terrain. All Terrain Vehicles are used in many different ways including for sport or fun and for safety purposes.

All Terrain Vehicles are not street legal in the United States, which means that they cannot be driven on any roadways that regular motor vehicles travel on. All Terrain Vehicles can be driven on dirt roadways, through the woods, and anywhere off-road that does not employ trespassing.

The first model of an ATV was manufactured in the 1960s but they weren't as advanced and safe as they were in the 1980s and now. The first All Terrain Vehicle was released to the public in 1982 by Suzuki. It was the QuadRunner LT125 and it was specially made for beginning drivers. This was the first four wheel model released to the public. There have been three wheel models that were manufactured by Honda in the 1970s and these models were used in the James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever. Television shows such as Magnum PI and Hart 2 Hart also used three wheel All Terrain Vehicles.

That first three wheel model from Honda was called the ATC90 and was manufactured for the sole purpose of recreational activity. All Terrain Vehicles are also massed produced for racing purposes. There are official ATV races held not only across the country but also worldwide. ATVs, because there is no protection from the elements, are also a huge safety concern. There are no roll bars on the vehicle and no surrounding steel like a car has to protect its passengers or riders. ATVs, if not operated properly, can roll over and crush the limbs or the entire body of the driver.

Other concerns about ATV use is trespassing (mentioned earlier), the destruction of environmental life, erosion of land and noise/dust pollution. A 2004 study determined that 767 people died in the United States because of injuries sustained from an All Terrain Vehicle accident. The Consumer Product Safety Commission released data in The New York Times in 2007 saying that 44,000 children under the age of 16 were injured in ATV accidents in the year of 2004 and of those 44,000 injured, 150 of them were killed.

Aside from entertainment use or use for sport, All Terrain Vehicles are also used by municipalities for safety and security reasons. Police departments across the country use ATVs to patrol large crowds and gain access to areas not suitable for large vehicles. ATVs are also used by lifeguarding outfits, beach patrol outfits and the Coast Guard across the country. The ATVs are used to patrol the beach by lifeguards and even police officers to make sure that the crowds are obeying the law and are used to get to certain beaches in a moment's notice in the event of an emergency.

The major manufacturers of All Terrain Vehicles are Arctic Cat, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Polaris Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Bombardier Recreational Products.