All Terrain Vehicles (three Wheels/off-road Only)
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Sports Protective Equipment & Gear · CPSC Code 3285
Down 23% over 5 years
The verdict
All Terrain Vehicles (three Wheels/off-road Only) carry a danger score of 37/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 2,212 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 23% over the last five years.
- 37/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 2,212
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 13.5%
- end in hospital admission
- 15-24
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 3285 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 37/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume2,212 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)13.5%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-23%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
All Terrain Vehicles (three Wheels/off-road Only) (CPSC product code 3285, in the Sports Protective Equipment & Gear category) generate an estimated 2,212 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 44,247 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 37/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 23% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2005 (6,355 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2021 (549 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only) is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 2,350 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by strain, sprain to the ankle (1,770 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 12,941 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 13.5% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 1 consumer incident report filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only) fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 725 | 484 | |
| 5-14 | 5,542 | 2,445 | |
| 15-24 | 10,093 | 2,848 | |
| 25-34 | 8,446 | 1,905 | |
| 35-44 | 3,630 | 914 | |
| 45-54 | 2,777 | 1,163 | |
| 55-64 | 1,495 | 306 | |
| 65-74 | 841 | 73 | |
| 75+ | 460 | 105 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Leg | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Shoulder | Fracture | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Lower Leg | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
25 YOM INJ LT FOOT TIPPED 3 WHEEL ATV LANDED ON FOOT AT HOME DX CRUSH INJ LT FOOT
28YOM COMES IN NOW WITH COMPLAINT OF PAIN IN HIS RIGHT KNEE. PATIENT WAS RIDING AN ATV ON SATURDAY AND JUMPED OFF WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. PATIENT LANDED AND TWISTED HIS KNEE. DX: INTERNAL DERANGEMENT OF RIGHT KNEE, RIGHT KNEE SPRAIN
39YOM WAS RIDING A THREE-WHEELER ATV AND FELL OFF ONTO HIS SHOULDER. DX: SHOULDER DISLOCATION
20 YOM C/O INJ TO KNEE/ANKLE WHEN HE HIT A METAL POLE RIDING ALONG ROAD ON HIS 3 WHEELER DX KNEE CONTUSION, ANKLE SPRAIN
12YOF WAS RIDER OF ATV HIT A DITCH AND WAS EJECTED OFF DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY, ABRASION TO BOTH LOWER LEGS
44YOM PRESENTS AFTER HE FLIPPED A 3-WHEELER ATV AFTER HE WAS TURNING TO AVOID A POTHOLE AND THE RIGHT WHEEL DROPPED AND HE FILLED THE ATV. HAS CONTUSIONS TO HIS HEAD AND HIP AND ABRASIONS TO HIS RIGHT ELBOW AND HEAD. HAS BEEN DRINKING ALCOHOL, BAC=114 DX: INFECTED WOUND; ATV ACCIDENT CAUSING INJURY; LEG HEMATOMA, RIGHT
34YOM C/O LACERATION S/P THE PATIENT STATES HE WAS TRYING TO DO A WHEELIE ON A 3 WHEELER WHEN HE TIPPED BACKWARDS HITTING THE LEFT ELBOW ON THE GROUND. DX: ELBOW LACERATION, LEFT
30YOF C/O MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH S/P PATIENT STATES THAT THE ATV CRASHED AND ROLLED 3-4 TIMES. PT STATES SHE HAS NECK PAIN. PT LEFT ED PRIOR TO EXAM. DX: NONE
26 YOM ATV 3 WHEELER ACCIDENT HIT POT HOLE IN ROAD, HELMET UNKNOWN DX ABRASIONS MULTI SITES
54YOM CAUGHT HIS FOOT RIDING A 3-WHEELER. DX: FX FOOT
55YOF MVC ON 3-WHEELER GOING APPROX. 30 MPH. HEAD STRIKE WITH HEMATOMA NOTED TO THE FOREHEAD. AMNESTIC AND REPETITIVE QUESTIONING WITH EMS. DX: TIBIA/ FIBULA FX, RT, CLOSED
13YOM, HELMETED 3-WHEEL ATV DRIVER CRASHED INTO AN ELECTRIC FENCE FLOWN OVER INTO HORSE PEN, REMEMBER SEEING THE FENCE AND CAN'T RECALL ANYTHING THEREAFTER, LACERATION AND ABRASION TO NECK IN ADDITION TO LACERATION TO CHEST WALL NOTED ON EXAM, DX: WOUNDS AND INJURIES
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I found this vehicle advertised on the internet. I asked a local dealer to order one for me. It was shipped preassembled. All the dealer had to do was install the front wheels and the battery. The dealer mentioned that the steering was stiff, but he thought it would break in over time. I have put about 100 miles on it, but cannot ride it over 30mph. It was advertised to go over 60. The problem is the steering. It never did "break in". When you hit a bump in the road it abruptly veers either left or right. The direction is not dependent on which side of the vehicle or which wheel hits the bump. It is not the size of the bump that causes the deflection, but the speed of the vehicle. I have not been over 45mph on it. At that speed I don't know if I am going to end up in a ditch or an on coming lane of traffic. The dealer has tried to correct the problem, but reports that he is not getting reliable support from the distributor, importer or manufacturer. The vehicle is not safe to operate. Since the dealer did not stock this vehicle and I requested he order it for me, he says there is not much he can do for me other than be the middleman and try to rectify the malfunction. I would like to return the vehicle, but the dealer's distributor has not been responsive to the request. The warranty will expire Feb. 2, 2012 The product can be viewed at http://www.icebearatv.com/PST250K.TRIKE.htm The dealer I ordered it through is: ARTEMAN'S CYCLE REPAIR, 1310 State Route 54 E, Clinton, IL 61727
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only) have a danger score of 37/100 (low risk). An estimated 2,212 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only)?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 2,350 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only) increasing or decreasing?
Down 23% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only) injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 12,941 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only)?
Of all ER visits involving all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only), approximately 13.5% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (86.5%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with all terrain vehicles (three wheels/off-road only)?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 37/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 15-24 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
