A new report has came out that comes to a somewhat surprising conclusion: four-wheeled all terrain vehicles are more likely to kill riders than off-road motorcycles. According to researchers from Johns Hopkins Center for Surgery Trials and Outcomes Research, while the initial injuries was similar for both groups, those injured on ATV suffered far worse fates. Victims of ATV crashes are 50 percent more likely to die than people injured while crashing in Motocross and other off-road motorcycle events.
There are between 800 and 900 deaths due ATV accidents each year
“There’s a belief that four wheels must be safer than two, but we found the opposite. People involved in ATV crashes are more likely to die or suffer serious trauma.” says Cassandra Villegas of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Villegas studied 60,000 patients injured in ATV or trial bike crashes between 2002 and 2006 for their study. Riders of ATVs were 55 percent more likely to end up in the intensive care unit, they said. ATVs can be bigger and heavier than bikes, and can crush victims. Villegas and trauma surgeon Adil Haider said helmets may be another factor – 60 percent of motorcyclists were wearing helmets as compared to 30 percent of people injured in ATV crashes.
