193

- 6

HOSPITAL IZATIONS PER 1 , 000 MINIBIKES AND TRAIL BIKES IN USE , AND A 0 . 84 HOSPITAL IZATIONS PER 1 , 000 SNOWMOBILES IN USE . MOREOVER , INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THESE OTHER TYPES OF VEHICLES HAVE REMAINED

RELATIVELY CONSTANT FROM 1983 - 1984 , WHILE ATV INJURIES , AS NOTED , HAVE

SURGED .

VEHICLE DESIGN : UNUSUAL HANDLING

BASED ON THE INFORMATION CURRENTLY BEFORE US , THE PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF 3 - WHEELED ATVS ARE SUSPECT , WE ' VE RECEIVED AND CONTINUE TO ASSESS INFORMATION CONCERNING . TIPOVERS , FLIPOVERS , AND ROLLOVERS . WE ALREADY KNOW THAT , TO OPERATE SUCH A VEHICLE PROPERLY ,

THE RIDER MUST INDUCE INSTABILITY ,

LET ME ELABORATE ON THAT CRITICAL POINT : IN ATTEMPTING TO TURN A 3 - WHEELED ATV , ONE OF THE REAR WHEELS MUST BE RAISED FROM CONTACT WITH THE GROUND OR PATH . THE ATV IS THEN AWKWARDLY AND PRECARIOUSLY BALANCED ON TWO WHEELS , ONE FRONT , ONE BACK . IN DOING THAT , THE USER MUST SHIFT HIS WEIGHT , BUT NOT HIS BODY , IN THE DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE TURN IN ORDER TO PERMIT THE VEHICLE TO TURN . OTHERWISE , BECAUSE TYPICALLY THERE IS NO DIFFERENTIAL ON THE TWO REAR WHEELS , IT IS EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT TO GET THE 3 - WHEELER TO STEER . THIS MOTION IS UNLIKE ANY TURNING MANEUVER FAMILIAR TO MOST OF US WHO HAVE RIDDEN BICYCLES , TRAIL BIKES , MINIBIKES OR MOTORCYCLES . IT IS PRECISELY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT OUR NATURAL INSTINCTS TELL US AND EVERYTHING OUR EXPERIENCE WITH SUCH OTHER VEHICLES HAS TAUGHT US .

SURE , ATV RIDERS SHOULD BE ADEQUATELY TRAINED AND CAUTIONED REPEATEDLY TO WEAR PROPER SAFETY GEAR . SURE , THEY SHOULD ONLY RIDE