Why do atvs have large seats

ATVs are motorized vehicles that are meant to be used off-road or on dirt roads, not on paved roads or highways. They usually have four large balloon-style tires, with a seat in the middle that a rider straddles while steering by the handlebars. There are still some three-wheeler ATVs around, but manufacturers stopped making them in due to concerns about stability and safety. Weighing more than pounds, ATVs have large, powerful engines that allow them to reach speeds of 65 mph or more.

They have a high center of gravity and no roll bars, safety cages, or seatbelts, meaning they can tip easily, throw riders and passengers off, or even roll over on top of riders. This can cause serious injury or death, usually because of head injuries. Other common injuries include cuts, scrapes, broken collarbones , and broken arms and legs. There are no federal regulations or age limits when it comes to riding ATVs. Instead, each state has its own guidelines and laws.

Some states require ATV riders to be 16 years old and have a safety certificate. When you have a passenger on your utility quad, the only safe thing to do is transport them from one point to another, moving carefully as losing control of these quad bikes can happen easily when you are overcoming obstacles. Sports quad bikes have smaller bodies, made for speed, and almost nothing else they move quickly across the sand with a center of gravity that allows a lot of obstacles to be overcome.

The seat on these quad bikes is made to comfortably absorb impacts and other extreme things that you will be doing with these quads. Owing to the function of these quad bikes, you will find that you can only ever have one passenger on the quad. Smaller seats and higher speeds mean that you will not be able to safely take on extra passengers in the same way that you could with a utility quad bike.

Sports quad bikes have softer and lighter frames, making them perfect for moving at high speed but unable to support unexpected weight on the actual bodywork. You can see in the sports like shapes that these quad bikes have, they are meant for at the most two people using them, and not people sitting on the sides.

Enthusiasts have been known to add different body shapes and other extras to their sports quad bikes that allow them to do a bit more. The engines used in sports quad bikes can be some of the fastest out there, they may not have the same amount of power as their larger cousins, but they can make you go extremely fast over rough terrain. If your engine is smaller you may want to reconsider if you are going to have a passenger, small sports quad bikes may be unable to properly move with too much weight on them.

These engines are fine tuned to move as fast as possible, either over sand, mud or though water. However, this makes them unable to easily pull or push as much weight as other larger quad bikes.

Unlike utility quad bikes, where only a helmet and goggle should be enough to keep you safe while working with them sports quad bikes require several more pieces of equipment for both drivers and passengers.

Side-by-side is a broad term used to describe any ATV that has two seat side by side, which is where the name comes from. These can be ATVs that look almost like golf cars or, more commonly, dune buggies. These are almost shaped like miniature cars that are built to go anywhere they can reasonably fit through. Because they are at the very least two-seater vehicles, they can easily fit a driver and passenger, with the added benefit of having space in the back to pack several bags and other equipment needed when playing in mud and sand.

On the other hand, when going down a steep hill, you move your bottom back on the seat while fully extending your arms. This will keep the combined center of gravity backward and further behind the front tires, which, in turn, will make a front rollover less likely. Or when you are driving fast while turning, you need to shift your body weight to the inside of the turn.

So the seat cannot be wider than what allows this type of leaning. The narrow front part of the seat will allow you to lean further to the opposite side. If shifting body weight were not such a crucial aspect of safely operating a quad, the manufacturers would most likely make the seats much smaller. You see this on UTVs witch generally are wider vehicles with a lower center of gravity. These machines do not rely on body placement for vehicle stability.

Therefore, they can be equipped with bucket seats and seat belts, allowing minimal free movement of the rider or passenger. There is a very good reason why bringing a passenger is not a good idea, especially when doing active riding in difficult terrain. Or if you put a passenger behind you will prevent you from moving your but back on declines.

They will also limit free movement of your arms, so you cant turn the handlebar properly. A passenger will also add weight, creating a higher center of gravity, making your whole equipage more top-heavy, making it harder to control and more prone to tipping over. As the passenger will have limited ways to hold on to the bike, they are prone to be thrown off the bike from acceleration, jumps, tipping, etc.

About one-third of victims in fatal ATV accidents are drivers with passengers or passengers themselves. Because of the risks involved in riding with a passenger on a one-person ATV, it is highly recommended that you get a bike that has been specifically designed to accommodate two people if you intend to bring passengers on your rides.

These ATVs are commonly named two-ups and come fitted with a special passenger seat from the factory. These types of machines are now becoming widely available by most manufacturers. The price is usually slightly higher than on a one-up model, but not by much. However, this type of bike does have some disadvantages over bikes specifically made for one person. The stronger suspension combined with, the longer wheelbase will make it less nimble when going off-road.

The extra seat will also possibly be in your way when you move around a lot. For example, you can use different safety helmets, as collisions on farms are likely to occur at lower speeds than on the road.

Learn more about the requirements and safe farm use practices from Quad bike safety external link on the Worksafe NZ website. About a quarter of all injuries sustained in ATV crashes are to the head, yet very few riders wear helmets. Wearing an approved helmet is the best way to prevent serious head injury. The Land Transport Road User Rule states that if an ATV is being used on a road and there are no seatbelts fitted most side by sides have seatbelts and roll over protection , the rider or driver and passengers have to wear an approved helmet.

When quad bikes are being used for work purposes on or off-road , the Health and Safety in Employment Act also applies. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment advises that wearing a helmet is a practicable step under this act.

The Transport Agency also strongly recommends that you wear other safety equipment, such as strong footwear, gloves, protective pants and eye protection. ATVs behave very differently on sealed roads from other vehicles. Most ATVs have wide, low-pressure tyres — ideal for minimising damage to crops, but not good for road handling. While you can ride an ATV on the road if you have a learner motorcycle licence, many motorcycle techniques are unsafe when used on an ATV.

Most ATV accidents are caused by rider error. The best way to learn the skills necessary to ride an ATV safely and avoid accidents is to attend a specialised training course. These courses are offered by a number of organisations, including motorcycle clubs. More information on the ACC website external link. Full size ATVs are heavy, powerful machines and many injuries occur when child riders lose control.