DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — All-terrain vehicles are supposed to be banned from roads in many states, but small communities across the nation are increasingly bending the rules under pressure from riders who want to go wherever they please.
The trend is opposed by ATV manufacturers, who warn that the vehicles are unstable on flat terrain, and by public health officials concerned about the accidents on roads that kill more than 300 riders each year.
Riders of the buzzy, open-air vehicles acknowledge the dangers of not driving ATVs properly. But they say the risks are overstated.
Thirty-five states allow communities to authorize ATVs on some roads or road shoulders, according to the Consumer Federation of American.
Many models have a high center of gravity that makes them prone to toppling over at high speed.
