Children and ATV-Related Accidents

-- End Ad Box --->reports of 7,188 deaths and an estimated 1,763,800
There is an ATV safety crisis in America today, andemergency-room-treated injuries that have occurred
it poses a great threat to the health and well beingbetween 1983 and 2005. Over 38 percent of the
of our nation’s children. All-terrain vehiclesvictims have been, and will continue to be, children
(ATVs) were first made available in the United Statesunder 16 years of age. The following represents the
in the early 1970’s, and have becomemost currently ATV-related deaths and injuries
increasingly popular ever since. At first glance, ATVsinvolving children, according to the CPSC (
may seem harmless; however the number of• More than 40,000 children are seriously injured
ATV-related injuries and deaths continues to rise witheach year in ATV-related accidents.
their popularity. Over 136,000 Americans suffer• Between 1983 and 2005, at least 2,178 children
ATV-related injuries and deaths ever year and overunder the age of 16 died from ATV-related accidents.
one-third of the victims are children under 16 years• Between 1983 and 2005, over 630,000 children
of age. Despite the increasing epidemic, ATVunder the age of 16 went to a hospital emergency
manufacturers continue to market bigger, faster, androom for ATV-related injuries.
more dangerous ATVs for children.• Over 42 percent of the children that die in
ATVs have been available in the United States forATV-related deaths are under 12 years of age.
approximately 40 years. They are three- or four-• It is estimated that over 36 percent of the
wheel motorized machines specifically designed forchildren that are injured in non-fatal ATV-related
off-road travel. ATVs are intended for singleaccidents are less than 12 years of age.
occupant use and are characterized as an openDespite the increasing ATV-related injuries and
chassis or frame, which travels on large, low-pressuredeaths, ATVs continue to get bigger, faster and
tires, and uses handlebars for steering. Three-wheelmore dangerous than ever. ATV manufacturers
machines have not been manufactured since 1988,aggressively advertise ATVs based on power and
however many still remain in use. ATV engines rangespeed, weighing up to 800 pounds and traveling at
from 49cc to 950cc and can travel at speeds wellspeeds well above 70 miles per hour. Regardless of
above 70 miles per hour.warning labels and size restrictions, 90 percent of
By the mid-1980’s, ATV manufacturers werechildren involved in ATV-related accidents in 2005
selling as many as 600,000 three- and four-wheelwere operating large, powerful, adult-sized ATVs.
ATVs every year in the United States. As ATV salesAccording to the Wall Street Journal, ATV
continued to rise, dramatic increases in ATVmanufacturers are now pushing for a new category
accidents ( followed. The Consumer Product Safetyof bigger and faster ATVs aimed at image-conscious
Commission (CPSC) responded to the safety crisis by14- and 15-year-olds. ATV manufacturers call this new
negotiating a Consent Decree with ATVcategory “transitional” ATVs, claiming they
manufacturers in which they agreed, among otherwould reduce fatalities by encouraging children to ride
things, to five major elements (ATV models more appropriate to their age. However,
• ATV manufacturers agreed to halt production ofmany consumer advocates claim “beefing up
three-wheel ATVs.youth options” would undercut safety messages
• ATV manufacturers would offer safety trainingand put younger riders on bigger, more powerful
to all new ATV owners.machines (
• ATV manufacturers would recommendThe occurrence of ATV-related injury and death to
adult-sized ATVs only for those ages 16 and older.children has become so great that pediatricians,
• ATV manufacturers would label all ATVs withorthopedic surgeons, medical researchers, consumer
warnings, instructing purchasers that children shouldadvocates and other professionals have called for a
not ride adult-size ATVs.ban on use of ATVs by children under the age of 16.
• ATV manufacturers would recommend ATVT.S. Park, M.D., the Shi Hue Huang Professor of
engine sizes according to age: ATVs with an engineNeurological Surgery at the School of Medicine and
greater than 70cc should be used only by children 12pediatric neurosurgeon-in-chief at St. Louis
and older, and ATVs with an engine greater thanChildren’s Hospital, contributed to a review
90cc should be used only by those 16 and older.published in the Journal of Neurosurgery claiming that
The Consent Decree only covered a ten-year periodATV-related accidents are “leading to an increasing
and expired on April 28, 1988. Following the expirationnumber of fatalities and devastating injuries with
of the Consent Decree, ATV manufacturers agreedlifelong consequences for children and their
to continue most of its elements through voluntaryparents.” In the review, Park and his colleagues
action plans. These agreements embodied manystrongly recommend new legislation to reduce the
important safety elements, however, unlike theincreasing rates of serious injury and death from
Consent Decree; the voluntary safety plans are notATV-related accidents. The following are guidelines
enforceable by the CPSC.that Park and his colleagues believe would greatly
In the late 1980’s the Consumer Productreduce the number of injuries and deaths to children
Safety Commission (CPSC) began to initiate a seriesin ATV-related accidents (
of ATV-related injury and death studies intended for• Children younger than 16 years of age should be
public release. The first report, titled “All-Terrainbanned from riding ATVs.
Vehicle Exposure, Injury, Death, and Risk Studies,”• Mandatory helmet laws should be in order.
was released in April of 1988. Some major findings in• Mandatory instruction and certification programs
the 1988 study included (for all ATV owners and operators should be in order.
• Approximately 95 percent of children, between• ATVs should be prohibited for all public streets
the ages of 12 and 15 years of age, injured inand highways.
ATV-related accidents were operating adult-sizeNearly 20 years after the ATV industry agreed to
ATVs.improve safety, ATV-related accidents continue to
• Approximately 65 percent of children, less thantake an alarming toll on children. Every year hundreds
11 years of age, injured in ATV-related accidentsof thousands of children are injured or killed in
were operating adult-size ATVs.ATV-related accidents. Although increases of
• Children less than 16 years of age accounted forATV-related injuries and deaths to children have
nearly 50 percent of all ATV-related injuries.consistently followed the increases in popularity, sales,
ATV injuries ( and deaths have continued to increasesize and power of ATVs, state legislatures have
since the CPSC’s first studies on ATV-relatedfailed to enact proper legislation to ensure that
accidents in the 1980’s. According to thesafety follows as well.
CPSC’s latest estimates, there have been