Thousands of Montana residents do not hesitate to sneak out of the city every weekend to participate in several recreational activities. With various recreational vehicles, such as ATVs, boats, and skidoos, available, people can enjoy their time away from pollution and excessive city traffic. Unfortunately, not all recreational vehicles follow the safety norms in the designing and manufacturing phase, leading to hundreds of injuries and fatal accidents every year. The following accidents and injuries can occur due to equipment failure, negligence and even the unregulated use of recreational off-road motor vehicles:

• ATV accidents
• Boating accidents
• Injuries in personal watercraft
• SUV rollover accidents

A review of 207 patients admitted to a hospital due to injuries from recreational vehicles over the period of five years revealed the following:

• Men in their mid-twenties formed a high percentage of the patients.
• Children younger than 16 years were more frequently involved in recreational vehicle accidents and constituted more than 1/3 of the total.
• There was an increase in recreational vehicle accidents over the study period, with these accidents accounting for 52% of the overall off-road injuries.
• While 66% of the RV accidents resulted in musculoskeletal system, 25% of these incidents affected the head and face.
• While 10.6% of the cases resulted in permanent disability, children aged 16 years or less accounted for 33% of the recreational deaths.
• Most of the accidents were a result of the inherent instability of RVs, with the findings confirming that the vehicle had rolled or flipped in 60% of the accidents.

Measures to Reduce Accidents from Recreational Vehicles

The following measures can help reduce these types of accidents:

• Implementation of stricter licensing requirements.
• Educating people to make them aware of the dangers of these vehicles, specifically among children.
• Enforcing the use of proper safety equipment and driver training.
• Addressing problems associated with vehicle design.

With a continuous rise in the number of recreational vehicles every year, safety has become a prime concern. If you have suffered due to safety lapses in recreational vehicles or have lost a loved one, contact someone who understands the intricacies of the laws applicable to such misfortunes.

Labels:Recreational Vehicle Accidents, driver training, Accident injury attorney, ATV accidents, fatal accidents, Injuries in personal watercraft