TRAFFIC SAFETY

Tips to Avoid ATV Tragedies
There are approximately seven million ATVs in the United States, which is almost 20 times more than there were a decade ago. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, nationwide, ATV injuries requiring an emergency room visit have more than doubled in recent years — from an estimated 54,700 in 1997 to 111,700 in 2001. And in Arizona between 1982 and 2005, 147 ATV related deaths were reported. It is also important to note that a third of all ATV deaths and injuries involve victims younger than 16.

In Arizona, ATVs are required to be insured if they are licensed for street use or if there is a lien holder on the ATV. By law, owners of ATVs licensed for street use must carry bodily injury and property damage liability coverage.

Owners of non-street legal ATVs are not required by law to insure their ATV. However, if an uninsured non-street legal ATV is uninsured and involved in a collision, the operator will be treated as an uninsured motorist and could be sued for damages by the injured party, property or vehicle owner — regardless of where the collision occurred. Additionally, the ATV operator could be issued numerous citations including: unsafe vehicle on roadway, no valid driver’s license, no registration, no insurance, and any further statutes that were violated during the collision.

AAA Arizona recommends the following tips for ATV owners and operators:

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AAA Arizona offers collision and comprehensive coverage in addition to liability and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. AAA Arizona insures both street legal and non-street legal ATVs, and provides discounts for multiple ATVs on a policy.