| National Reports say West Virginia leads the nation in ATV deaths, many of them on public highways.
State legislators have passed ambiguous laws regarding their use on public roads, although designers of ATVs say they are unstable on paved highways, and were designed for off-the-road recreation.
ATVs have been declared unsafe for highway use.
Two-thirds of the crashes happen on public or private roads, according to the study.
Young adults and pre-teen children riding ATVs on highways is a frequent occurrence, often without helmets.
Two-thirds of the crashes happened on public or private roads, according to the study, most of the crashes involving one ATV.
"The most important thing is to wear a helmet," says Doug McDonald, an ATV safety instructor. "Anytime you ride, a helmet can reduce your risk of dying from an ATV accident as much as 75 to 80 percent."
Of 19 people who died in ATV crashes last year in West Virginia, only one was wearing a helmet.
Head, neck, and spine injuries are the most common, especially in children.
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