On May 8, 2021, there was a fatal crash between a sport utility vehicle (SUV) and an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) in north Harris County near Rosemary Lane and Keith Road. The seventeen-year-old driver of the ATV was killed, and the six-year-old passenger was critically injured. The driver of the SUV was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. An investigation is underway but preliminary reports indicate speed or failing to yield the right-of-way may have caused the crash.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports in its 2020 Annual Report that there were 749 deaths from ATV accidents in 2017 (the most recent year with complete data available). From 2015-2017, the average deaths per year from ATV accidents was over 752 deaths per year. More than 25% of people injured in ATV accidents are 16 years old or younger and collisions caused more than a third of the fatalities. Texas had the highest reported deaths from ATV accidents from 2015-2017.
The CPSC provides the following safety tips for ATVs:
- Get hands-on training from a qualified instructor, e.g., in an ATV Safety Institute (ASI) course.
- Always wear a helmet and other protective gear, such as eye protection, boots, gloves, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.
- Never ride with more passengers than there are seats. Most ATVs are designed for one rider.
- Riders younger than 16 should only drive age-appropriate youth model ATVs, and never adult ATVs.
- Off-road vehicles are designed to be driven only on off-road terrain, not paved surfaces.
- Never ride on public roads except to cross where permitted by law.
- Avoid drinking alcohol before or while driving an ATV, because alcohol can impair judgment and response time.
If you or a loved one were seriously injured or killed in an ATV accident, call our accident lawyers for a free, no-obligation consultation.
