S.O responding to complaints of 4-wheelers driven illegally on streets, private property and levee system; Citations are being issued and vehicles are also impounded when riders can’t show proof

An all-terrain vehicle being driven illegally on a public road.

With summer in full-swing and young people out of school, Sheriff James Pohlmann reminds St. Bernard Parish residents that 4-wheel all-terrain vehicles can’t legally be driven on public highways or streets and are built and intended only for off-road use.

The Sheriff’s Office has been responding to complaints about ATV drivers riding not only illegally on streets and highways but also illegally on private property and levee systems, the sheriff said.

Citations are being issued when riders are found by sheriff’s deputies, sometimes thanks to specific complaints of residents who saw four-wheelers being driven illegally, but also the ATVs are impounded when the rider can’t present proof of ownership.

“Parents should know what the law says: ATVs are not legal on streets,” Sheriff Pohlmann said, and their use by both adults and juveniles is getting out-of-hand at times, prompting complaints from people who don’t want to hit or be hit by one of the vehicles.

“These things can only be driven off-road,’’ the sheriff said. “If you don’t have property for them to be driven on, you probably shouldn’t buy them.’’

“We are getting a number of complaints about 4-wheelers being driven on streets, on private property and on the Mississippi River levee,’’ the sheriff said. “And our deputies are dealing with this in many areas.’’

“There are reasons they can’t be legally driven in the street,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “They are unsafe in many situations, particularly when driven carelessly, and many people across the country have been killed or maimed in accidents in the last 10 years.’’

Also, ATV riders can’t just trespass on other people’s property or drive them on the river levee, as many people do. “People have the right not to have their property used without permission,’’ the sheriff said.

And it is a bad idea to illegally use them on a levee, he said “Obviously, the levee system is there to protect us from flooding from hurricanes and we don’t want them damaged by people riding on them. People simply will not be allowed to drive ATVs on them,’’ he said.

Four-wheel ATVs are popular with hunters, farmers, ranchers and workers at construction sites. They have the ability to haul small loads on attached racks or small dump beds.

But Sheriff Pohlmann said safety issues have been involved in their use since ATVs were introduced in the early 1970s and almost immediately there were alarming injury rates for children and adolescents.

Fortunately, the number of deaths and other accidents related to ATV use have generally dropped in recent years but more than 325 people died in 4-wheeler accidents nationally in 2011, the sheriff said.

More than 50 of those deaths were juveniles, some less than 10 years old, and more than 26,000 injuries were reported. And there is compelling evidence that people under 15 or 16 should never ride them, the sheriff said.

Sometimes, young people are seen driving 4-wheelers in St. Bernard, sometimes doing things like riding on streets with a younger sibling being pulled in a small trailer. “How dangerous is that? But our deputies have seen that,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Based on an analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank, ATVs are more dangerous than dirt bikes, possibly due to crush injuries and failure to wear safety gear such as helmets. They are equally as dangerous as motorcycles, based on mortality and injury scores. Also, more children and women are injured on ATVs.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended no children under the age of 16 should ride ATVs. National associations of pediatricians, consumer advocates and emergency room doctors have urged the banning of sales of adult-size ATVs for use by children under 16 because the machines are too big and fast for young drivers to control.

Juveniles “are not developmentally capable of operating these heavy, complex machines,’’ said Dr. James Perrin, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics Most ATV manufacturers recommend at least a suitable DOT-approved helmet, protective eyewear, gloves and suitable riding boots for all riding conditions.

According to data just released in April by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission also concluded 4-wheelers continue to pose a great danger to young people.