This invention relates to the currently popular activity of outdoor recreation through the use of All Terrain Vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "ATV's"), three-wheeled vehicles of a motorcycle character. Said vehicles are most often ridden in isolated areas such as sand dunes, deserts, and mountain areas, and are operated by young children as well as adults.
ATV operator's generally find the sport in the activity in attempting to surmount terrestrial challenges or obstacles, such as dunes or hillsides. Frequently such vigorous attempts result in the front wheel of the vehicle raising off the ground, thereafter followed by rotation of the vehicle in a backward direction, displacing the operator from his seat and further resulting in the falling of the machine on the operator. These vehicular overturns usually result in damage to the vehicle, varying degrees of injury to the operator, and oftentimes, death. Indeed, the number of injuries and deaths related to ATV overturns has aroused great emotion and concern regarding the use of ATV's, particularly by young children. Further, heightened concern for the safety of operators of ATV's has prompted abundant legislation for regulation of the use of ATV's, and has attempted to impel ATV manufacturers to acknowledge the inherent dangers of these vehicles.
ATV afficiandos, the class of individuals most likely to suffer injury from use of these vehicles, paradoxically are adverse to the making of modifications by ATV manufacturers which might "tame" the vehicles while providing adequate (or legislated) safety features.
This invention, therefore, is a device which can be attached to almost all manufacturers of ATV's, and which provides a means of prevention of vehicular overturns when the ATV is being driven up a sloping terrain. Additionally, the device has the feature of adjustability for varying grades of terrain. Further, the device does not interfere in the operation of the vehicle on flat terrain. Use of this device by prudent ATV operators will significantly reduce the number of vehicular overturns, thus avoiding damage to the vehicle, and, more importantly, reducing the incidence of severe injury or death in ATV operators.