This holiday weekend, many Arizonans will take All Terrain Vehicles into the state's desert and forest areas.
According to ATVSafety.gov, 163 people were killed riding ATV's in Arizona from1982 to 2006.
Of those, two dozen were children under 16.
Earlier this month a Safford woman died when her ATV lost control on a farm road, hit a ditch berm and flew in the air, throwing her and a passenger off the vehicle.
Danielle Bierhaus, 25, died of her injuries in a Tucson hospital.
According to an investigating officer, "the vehicle/ATV was traveling too fast to maintain vision of surroundings and the surface of the maintenance road."
Also, "the time of the collision was night, in this locale visibility is bad."
And finally, "All witnesses…stated that both occupants of vehicle/ATV #1…had been drinking alcoholic beverages prior to riding the ATV.
The passenger of the ATV was not seriously injured.
Nationally, a preliminary review of news reports shows at least 15 deaths in a 10-day period last month. 2 of these were children under 16.
ATVSafety.gov has a page of
safety tips. Check them out before you hit the trials or dunes.
