All-terrain vehicle (ATV) drivers may be riskier operators thanmotorcyclists, according to new data from the Insurance Institutefor Highway Safety.

Of the individuals involved in fatal ATV crashes in recentyears, 87% were not wearing helmets and almost half were drunk,reports the IIHS.

In comparison, more motorcyclists killed in crashes werefollowing safety procedures—46% were wearing helmets—and accordingto the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationinformation, helmet use among motorcyclists increased by 19% withinthe last four years.

Only eight states require ATV operators on public roads to wearhelmets, while the Governors Highway Safety Administration sayshalf of U.S. states require motorcyclists to wear helmets.

Among killed ATV drivers, 43% had a blood alcohol concentrationof 0.08% or greater, compared with a third of passenger vehicle andmotorcycle drivers.

Two thirds of ATV crashes occur on public or private roads, eventhough they are meant for off-road use: the IIHS says though ATVscan reach highway speeds, their low-pressure tires are not designedfor paved surfaces, and many models are prone to rolling over.

Historically, ATV deaths averaged 227 a year but increased tomore than 800 in 2007, the last year the Commission ConsumerProduct Safety Commission (CPSC) monitored the vehicle'sstatistics. In the following five years after the Institute pickedup the study in 2007, a total of 1,701 ATV riders were killed onpublic roads.

All terrain vehicle use has also nearly doubled in the pastdecade, with 10.6 million ATVs on the road in 2010 compared to 5.6million in 2001. Rider fatalities peaked in 2008, but declined by19% in 2011.

“As with the recent decline in motor vehicle fatalitiesgenerally, much of the drop is believed to be connected to therecent recession,” says the IIHS report.

Most ATV fatalities occurred in rural states, with the highestrate of driver crashes in West Virginia, Wyoming, Montana andKentucky.

One way to address the danger of ATVs traveling on pavedsurfaces may be to strengthen laws that prohibit vehicles on pavedroads, says the IIHS. Current laws allow them to cross roads orride alongside road for a limited number of miles.