When most people think of off-road vehicles, probably the first things that comes to mind are those all-terrain vehicles (three and four wheelers [ATV’s]and off-road vehicles such as Jeeps); however, off-road vehicles are more of a general term for any vehicle that can drive on un-paved surfaces not just those for sport. Off-road, farm, earth moving and other vehicles do have some negative environmental effects, which some people think outweigh the positive aspects of these types of machines. This article will discuss some of the pros and cons of these vehicles in order to help you form your own opinion.

Society would be very different if we didn’t have the advantages that some of these large machines provide. Tractors and other farm machines allow food to be grown, harvested and produced on a massive scale; without them, many of the food products we enjoy today would not exist. Earth-moving vehicles, if used appropriately, help develop cities by allowing for large amounts of land to be cleared in a short amount of time. Responsible use of ATV’s provides entertainment as a recreational vehicle.

More and more people are beginning to think about the negative environmental impact of off-road, farm, earth moving and other vehicles. Large machines used for construction release many different kinds of pollution-causing gases into the atmosphere. ATV use can cause erosion and destroy plants and/or wildlife; the risk of injury from these vehicles is high as well. It is up to each person or business to decide whether the advantages of these types of machines outweigh the disadvantages.