ATV regulations save lives

ATV regulations save lives

Charleston Daily Mail: West Virginia had a major problem a few years ago with all-terrain vehicles, leading the nation in ATV deaths among children 18 and younger.

From 1999 to 2006, ATV collisions cost 250 people their lives. This was unacceptable, and the state took action — which paid off.

Two things made ATV riding in West Virginia safer.

The first was construction of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System, which began in 2000.

The trails now provide more than 500 miles of back roads throughout Southern West Virginia, which allow riders to use ATVs for recreation safely in an environment that does not put them up against automobiles, trucks and tractor-trailers.

The bigger factor may be the requirement, enacted in 2007, that no one under 18 may operate an ATV without a certificate of completion of a safety course from the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Although figures are not available, West Virginia has since seen a dramatic improvement in ATV safety, especially among children