| Bank erosion started by four wheeler
| |
| | annual usage (<350 hrs), EPA emission
|
| All-terrain vehicles, Yauhanna, South
| |
| | regulations now include such engines
|
| CarolinaSince the early 1990s, ATV use
| |
| | starting with model year 2006.
|
| has tripled across the United States.
| |
| | Fuel Economy
|
| This has led to greater conflict between
| |
| | The EPA estimates that each ATV consumes
|
| ATV users and child-safety advocates,
| |
| | less than 59 gallons of fuel per year and
|
| rural landowners, fellow outdoor
| |
| | obtains between 40 and 50 mpg, making
|
| recreationalists and environmentalists.
| |
| | them not likely to fall under future fuel
|
| Safety Issues
| |
| | economy regulations. (Ibid. EPA 1)
|
| Since the expiration of the consent
| |
| | Land Usage
|
| decrees between the major manufacturers
| |
| | Some ATV riders knowingly cross privately
|
| and CPSC in April of 1998, the
| |
| | owned property in rural areas and travel
|
| manufacturers have entered into
| |
| | over public/private properties where
|
| "voluntary action plans" that mimic the
| |
| | their use is explicitly limited to
|
| previously mandatory consent decrees.
| |
| | trails. Subsequently, environmentalists
|
| However, despite the move from 3-wheel to
| |
| | criticize ATV riding as a sport for
|
| 4-wheel models and the action plans, some
| |
| | excessive use in areas environmental
|
| deaths and injuries still occur.
| |
| | movement-friendly biologists consider to
|
| Statistics released by CPSC show that in
| |
| | be sensitive, especially wetlands and
|
| 2004, there were an estimated 136,100
| |
| | sand dunes. While the deep treads on some
|
| injuries associated with ATVs treated in
| |
| | ATV tires are effective for navigating
|
| US hospital emergency rooms -- more than
| |
| | rocky, muddy, and root covered terrain,
|
| double the number of injuries treated in
| |
| | these treads also dig channels that may
|
| the last year of the consent decrees. In
| |
| | drain boggy areas, increase sedimentation
|
| 2003, the latest year for which estimates
| |
| | in streams at crossings and damage
|
| are available, 740 people died in
| |
| | groomed snowmobile trails. Studies have
|
| ATV-associated incidents.
| |
| | also shown that ATVs may help in the
|
| The action plans in place with CPSC cover
| |
| | spread of invasive species such as
|
| only certain manufacturers of ATVs. Other
| |
| | knapweed. Despite some limited studies
|
| manufacturers that have entered the
| |
| | showing the impacts of unregulated ORV
|
| market since the expiration of the
| |
| | use, the vast majority of ORV use on
|
| consent decrees are not covered by the
| |
| | public lands is regulated. Moreover,
|
| action plans and so are not bound by the
| |
| | running counter to the popular
|
| rules governing things such as labelling
| |
| | misconception that ATV and ORV use is a
|
| and safe marketing practices, and what
| |
| | leading cause of damage to the landscape
|
| ages a distributor may recommend a
| |
| | and sensitive habitats in general, the
|
| particular sized ATV for. These
| |
| | overwhelming evidence of human growth
|
| manufacturers and distributors, most of
| |
| | patterns upon the landscape indicates
|
| whom originate from Asia and Italy, are
| |
| | damage to the sensitive habitats are
|
| completely exempt of government
| |
| | caused by unmitigated growth of
|
| oversight.[4]
| |
| | single-family housing planning and
|
| Focus has shifted since the consent
| |
| | extractive industries.
|
| decrees ended to attention to machine
| |
| | To address these land usage concerns, ATV
|
| size balanced with rider age. Many states
| |
| | advocacy groups have been organized to
|
| have enacted legislation specifically
| |
| | purchase property and/or obtain
|
| governing the usage of ATVs on state run
| |
| | permission of landowners, build and
|
| land categorized by age ranges and engine
| |
| | maintain trails suitable for ATV riding
|
| displacements - in line with the consent
| |
| | and educate ATV riders about responsible
|
| decrees. ATVs are mandated to be labelled
| |
| | riding. Many states have also formed
|
| from the manufacturer that the use of
| |
| | separate governing bodies that license
|
| machines greater than 90cc by riders
| |
| | ATVs separately than other ORVs. The
|
| under the age of 16 is prohibited.
| |
| | monies from these registrations are used
|
| Critics point out that blanket policies
| |
| | to secure trails to ride and perform
|
| concerning age are not sufficient and
| |
| | grooming and maintenance.
|
| often use as example that early teen male
| |
| | Unfortunately, the image of the great
|
| children are physically larger and
| |
| | majority of responsible riders is often
|
| stronger than many adult women riders.
| |
| | tainted by the actions of some who ride
|
| Some localities have either banned minors
| |
| | off designated trails, on private land
|
| (typically those under 16 years of age)
| |
| | without permission, and under the
|
| from using ATVs or are considering such
| |
| | influence of alcohol or drugs.
|
| legislation. Advocates of ATVs argue that
| |
| | Additionally, self-regulation has proven
|
| starting younger improves safety. They
| |
| | particularly difficult considering that
|
| recommend that children can develop the
| |
| | the main public complaint against ATVs is
|
| necessary expertise by starting as young
| |
| | excessive noise. Although the majority of
|
| as 6 years of age instead of waiting
| |
| | ATVs comply with noise regulations, there
|
| until age 16. The U.S. Consumer Product
| |
| | are those whose intentional violation can
|
| Safety Commission approved the sale of
| |
| | disturb the activities of other
|
| sub-50cc ATVs for use by youngsters as
| |
| | recreational users for miles across open
|
| young as age 6.
| |
| | landscapes. Tampering with an ATVs
|
| In 1988, the All-terrain Vehicle Safety
| |
| | exhaust silencer and spark arrestor is
|
| Institute (ASI) was formed to provide
| |
| | illegal on all federal lands and most
|
| training and education for ATV riders.
| |
| | state lands, however enforcement is
|
| The cost of attending the training is
| |
| | spotty. It is also possible to install
|
| minimal and is free for purchasers of new
| |
| | aftermarket exhaust systems that do not
|
| machines. Successful completion of
| |
| | have spark arrestors.
|
| training such as provided here is in many
| |
| | Fellow outdoor recreationists who have
|
| states a minimum requirement for
| |
| | expressed concern about irresponsible ATV
|
| minor-age children to be granted
| |
| | use include snowmobile users who resent
|
| permission to ride on state lands.
| |
| | improper use of exclusive snowmobile
|
| EPA Concerns
| |
| | trails, ATV trail riders whose trails
|
| Emissions
| |
| | have been damaged by improper use and
|
| Due to the lack of emission controlling
| |
| | hunters whose game has been driven off by
|
| hardware and software, for year 2000 all
| |
| | those riding during prime hunting times.
|
| recreational spark ignited (SI) non-road
| |
| | Nationally, the US Forest Service
|
| vehicles (of which ATVs are a subset)
| |
| | considers managed ATV use to be a
|
| contributed 8% of HC, .16% of NOx, 5% of
| |
| | legitmate activity in national forests,
|
| CO and .8% of PM emissions for the entire
| |
| | yet it also lists their unregulated use
|
| non-road EPA family. The entire range of
| |
| | as one of the four greatest threats to
|
| non-road emissions accounted for 49% of
| |
| | long term forest management. The US
|
| engine produced emissions of all types.
| |
| | Forest Service recently released a
|
| [5] While recreational SI vehicles (of
| |
| | national travel management plan designed
|
| which ATVs are a subset) produce an
| |
| | to minimize the negative environmental
|
| aggregate of <4% of all HC emissions in
| |
| | impacts of ATVs while providing a safe,
|
| the US, based on the relatively small
| |
| | sustainable and enjoyable opportunity for
|
| population of ATVs (<1.2M) and small
| |
| | ATV users.
|
