It may be obvious but it apparently bears repeating: do not drive an all-terrain vehicle after drinking alcohol.
An Aug. 22 news release from the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research said 55 percent of all ATV fatalities checked between 2002 and 2009 involved alcohol and 72 percent of those tested over the legal limit of .08.
Intoxication through drugs and alcohol were named as one of the biggest risk factors in ATV injuries and even slight intoxication increases the likelihood of a crash and injuries.
“The power, speed and weight of an ATV, along with the unpredictable nature of off-road conditions, make the consequences of an ATV crash or rollover just too serious to ignore,” said Dr. Don Voaklander, director of the centre.
Kathy Belton, association director, added that alcohol impairs a person’s ability to make quick decisions and adjustments for varying terrain often encountered while riding ATVs.
Drinking and driving an ATV can also result in an impaired driving criminal conviction.
