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The Most Dangerous Vehicle in 1980s America Gets Tested in 2022

Back in the 1980s, some vehicle manufacturers introduced trikes to the U.S. market, and promoted those as being useful for farmers. People figure out that these can pack quite some power, and began using them for leisure, but occasionally found themselves crashing. Things got so bad that the entire class of vehicles was banned from sale in the United States of America.
Three-wheeled all-terrain vehicles were dangerous then, and they are still dangerous today 7 photos
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by Donut Media
Three-wheeled all-terrain vehicles were dangerous then, and they are still dangerous todayThree-wheeled all-terrain vehicles were dangerous then, and they are still dangerous todayThree-wheeled all-terrain vehicles were dangerous then, and they are still dangerous todayThree-wheeled all-terrain vehicles were dangerous then, and they are still dangerous todayThree-wheeled all-terrain vehicles were dangerous then, and they are still dangerous todayThree-wheeled all-terrain vehicles were dangerous then, and they are still dangerous today
According to statistics, around 500,000 people ended up in the hospital after taking a ride on one of these three-wheelers. Many people lost their lives on vehicles like these, and those unfortunate accidents have motivated the authorities' decision to stop letting companies sell these in the U.S., with an average of twenty deaths per month at the peak of the phenomenon.

The high number of accidents, as well as their severity, especially among children, led to three-wheel vehicles being described as the most dangerous vehicle on the market in the 1980s USA.

The ban ended up creating the ATV category, which was created as a safer alternative to these three-wheelers. Existing models had to be made safer, as well, which led to a dramatic shift in the class. Despite the danger, some three-wheelers were kept by their owners, and one was acquired by the folks over at Donut Media.

The team's goal was to test one of these creations and see what made it so dangerous, as well as demonstrate their weaknesses. One of those is their high center of gravity, which made the vehicles both unstable at speed, and easy to tip over or flip at low speeds.

As you can see, even with an experienced rider at the helm, the vehicle looks as if it is moments away from being tipped over in a basic avoidance maneuver. Things do not improve over terrain, where the way its configuration will make it difficult to ride, to say the least. Attempting to climb a hill will also lead to dangerous situations, and the latter has yet to change with ATVs, as the danger is real.

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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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