Keep your children safe when riding an ATV: Right Size ATV. Right Gear. Right Training. Every Time!

What is an ATV?

An ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) is a motorized off-road vehicle designed to travel on four low-pressure tires, with a seat designed to be straddled by the operator and handlebars for steering control. There are two types of ATVs. Type 1 ATVs are intended to be used by a single operator and no passenger. Type 2 ATVs are intended to be used by an operator and a passenger.

ATVs are not "one size fits all." The ATV industry recommends that all riders operate the size and type of ATV designed for their age group. Youth model ATVs are designed for smaller hands and feet, and travel at slower speeds appropriate for younger riders.

South Carolina ATV Facts:

• From 2012-2021, on average, 17 South Carolinians died each year from ATV-related injuries.1
• From 2012-2021, 22 South Carolinian children younger than 16 died from ATV accidents. The majority of these deaths occurred among children between the ages of 10 to 15.1
• In 2021, there were 490 emergency department visits among South Carolinian children (under 16) due to nonfatal unintentional ATV injuries.2
• Nationally, more than 90% of deaths and injuries among ATV riders younger than 16 occurred in an adult-sized vehicle.3

Incorrect ATV Size Causes Many Deaths, Injuries

As ATVs have grown in popularity in recent years, deaths and injuries from ATV accidents have climbed. Nationally the majority of children killed on ATVs were riding adult-sized ATVs, despite industry recommendations. ATV rollovers, collisions and ejections can cause fatalities and serious injuries among children due to their lack of physical strength and motor coordination needed to safely handle an ATV, their limited maturity, and their perceptional and cognitive abilities to react quickly and appropriately in dangerous situations.

ATV Training and Protective Gear are Important

It's important to choose the right size ATV, the right protective gear, and receive the right training to protect children from ATV injuries or death. By participating in a hands-on ATV rider safety training, you will learn about protective gear, local regulations, places to ride and environmental concerns pre-ride inspection, starting and stopping, quick turns, hill riding, emergency stopping and swerving and riding over obstacles. For information on ATV Rider Courses nearest you, contact ATV Safety Institute.

"Chandler's Law" ATV Safety Requirements: Effective July 1, 2011

• Minimum age to operate an ATV is 6 years old
• Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult if riding on public land
• New requirements for children under age 16:
  • Must complete a hands-on ATV rider safety training course approved by the ATV Safety Institute before operation on an ATV
  • Must wear a safety helmet and eye protection
  • May not ride an ATV in violation of the manufacturer Age Restriction Warning Label required by Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA)
  • May not carry a passenger on an ATV without a valid driver's license
  • The above requirements, although recommended, do not apply for ATVs in use for farming, ranching, hunting, or trapping
• On private property, law enforcement officers must have probable cause based on plain view observation or when investigating an ATV accident to enter upon private land to charge a parent with a violation of law.
• ATVs can be registered with the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles for purposes of receiving a title. A title makes it easier to prove you own an ATV if it is ever stolen.

**For additional information about "Chandler's Law", hands-on ATV rider safety training courses, and Q & A for parents and children, please visit ChandlersATVlaw.com.

ATV Hands-On Rider Training Providers in South Carolina

• ATV Safety Institute
• Specialty Vehicle Institute of America

ATV Injury Prevention Links

• Safe Kids of South Carolina
• Children's Safety Network
• ATVSafety.gov
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Citations

1. South Carolina Vital Statistics, 2012-2021.
2. SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office Emergency Department Visits and Inpatient Discharges, 2021.
3. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2022, September 9). AAP Policy Statement Aims to Reduce Pediatric Deaths from All-Terrain Vehicle Crashes. Retrieved on July 12, 2023 from https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2022/aap-policy-statement-aims-to-reduce-pediatric-deaths-from-all-terrain-vehicle-crashes/.