Recent ATV Fatalities Serve As a Tragic Reminder – ATV’s are recreational vehicles that should not be taken recreationally. Gainesville accident attorney explains.

The death of two people, including a 12 year-old girl, in separate Yamaha ATV accidents in Levy County during one weekend is tragic and scary and our hearts go out to their families.  It is tragic because both of these fatalities may have been avoided by following the law and using common sense when it comes to safety.  It is scary because people are continuing to ignore basic safety standards.

Levy County had tried in the past to curb the number of ATV-related accidents.  Between 2008 and 2010, the Levy County Sheriff’s Office received a $90,000 grant to publicize ATV safety rules and to pay overtime for the ATV laws to be enforced.  In 2006, the Levy County Commission made it illegal to operate an ATV vehicle on any paved or unpaved roadway, restricting ATV driving to certain designated areas.

Yet even with these precautionary measures being applied in Levy County as well as throughout Florida, ATV accidents continue to grow.  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that 465 Floridians were killed in ATV accidents between 1982 and 2010.  The report further states that 23% of those deaths occurred to children younger than 16 years old.  Unlike some states, like Massachusetts and Colorado, Florida does not impose a minimum age for ATV drivers.  Florida does, however, require all riders under age 16 to wear protective headgear while riding an ATV.

The recent tragic deaths in Levy County along with the statistics mentioned above serve as a reminder that although ATVs are recreational vehicles, they are not vehicles that should be taken recreationally. 

Please, make sure to follow all state and local ATV laws and keep in mind basic safety precautions and laws:

• Take an ATV training course;
• Wear a helmet and protective eye-gear (required by law in Florida if under16);
• Do not carry a passenger unless the ATV is equipped for it;
• If the ATV is equipped with a seatbelt or harness, wear it;
• Do not drive on paved or unpaved roads (in most Florida counties it is legal to ride on an unpaved public roadway where the speed limit is less than 35 mph and only during the daytime);
• Do not allow children under 16 to drive adult-size ATVs;
• Do not drive ATV’s under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

For more information on this important topic, please see:
Do you know the 3 basic laws pertaining to ATV’s in Florida?