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All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Safety - Fact Sheet
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Background
All-terrain vehicles
(ATVs) are motorized vehicles with large, low-pressure tires, are designed for
off-highway use. ATV models can weight from 100 to 600 pounds1 and
travel up to 75 MPH.
The Consumer Product
Safety Commission and ATV distributors signed a 10 year consent decree with
ATV manufacturers containing the following components: three-wheeled ATVs could
no longer be sold, offer free safety training for new ATV operators, prevent
sales of adult sized ATVs for use by youth under 16 years, safety warnings to
prospective ATV buyers, and development of voluntary standards to make ATVs
safer. The agree expired in 1998.
Population at
Risk
According to a
1997 survey, an estimated 826,000 U.S. children under 16 years operate ATVs.2
Sixty percent of ATV-owning households are located in areas with populations
of less than 100,000 persons. ATV-owning households are more prevalent in the
South and Midwest and less prevalent in the Northeast.3
Forty-two percent of ATVs in U.S. households were purchased at a franchised
dealership. 2
What is the
injury experience of youth on ATVs?
- From 1995 to
1999, the estimated number of ATV-related emergency department for U.S. youth
under age 16 grew annually from 19,300 to 28,700, a 33% increase. 4
- Nationwide in
1999, youth under 16 represented 34% of all ATV-related emergency department
visits. 4
- From 1982-1999,
1,310 U.S. youth under age 16 died while riding an ATV. Youth under 16 represented
35% of all ATV-related deaths. 4
- Youth are commonly
injured fatally and non-fatally in rollover srashed, collisions with stationary
objects, and by falling off the ATV. 5,6
- Approximately
70% of fatal injuries to youth under 19 years involve the head and neck.5
Common non-fatal injuries include broken upper and lower extremities,
head injuries, bruises and scrapes. 6,7
- ATV operators
under 16 are nearly four times more likely than ATV operators over 16 to experience
an injury requiring emergency room treatment. 8
- According to
a 1997 national survey of ATV riders, 36% reported wearing a helmet all the
time. 3
- A national survey
of injured ATV operators found the hospitalization rate for ATV-related injuries
was 13%, compared to a hospitalization rate of 4% for other consumer product-related
injuries. 2
What factors
associated with ATV-related injuries to youth?
- Youth under
16 years
- No helmet
use 6,7,9-11
- Immature judgment,
risk taking and/or motor skills 12-14
- Male gender
6,7,11,13
- Having a passenger
5,6,9,10
- Recreational
use 2,15
- Driving an
ATV larger than that recommended for their age 2
- Alcohol is
generally not a factor among youth injuries 5,7,10
- General population
(including youth)
- Three-wheel
ATVs 8
- more years
of driving experience 8
What developmental
factors put youth at-risk for ATV-related injuries?
Most youth under
16 years do not possess:
- The physical
size, strength, coordination, and motor skills to operate an ATV
- The cognitive
capacity to look for and react to potential hazards
- Good judgment
to not act impulsively or take excessive risks
What strategies
promote safe ATV operation among youth?
- The American
Academy of Pediatrics recommends children under 16 should not operate an ATV.16
- Wearing a helmet
reduces the risk of fatal head injury by 42% and the risk of non-fatal head
injury by 64%. 17 The helmet
should also provide face protection. Other recommended riding gear includes
a long sleeve shirt/jacket, long pants, goggles (if the helmet does not provide
face protection), boots and gloves.
- It is uncertain
whether participation in an ATV safety education prevents injuries.
Citations
- Rodgers GB.
All-terrain vehicle injury risks and the effects of regulation. Accid Anal
Prev 1993; 25: 335-346.
- Rodgers GB.
All-terrain vehicle exposure, injury, death, and risk studies.. Bethesda,
MD: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; 1998:95.
- Rodgers GB.
The characteristics and use patterns of all-terrain vehicle drivers in the
United States.. Accid Anal Prev 1999; 31: 409-19.
- David J. Annual
Report of ATV deaths and injuries. Washington, DC: United States Consumer
Product Safety Commission; 2000:7.
- All-terrain
vehicle-related deaths--West Virginia, 1985-1997. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.
1999;48:1-4.
- Lynch JM, Gardner
MJ, Worsey J. The continuing problem of all-terrain vehicle injuries in children.
J Pediatr Surg 1998; 33: 329-332.
- Lister DG, Carl
J, 3rd, Morgan JH, 3rd et al. Pediatric all-terrain vehicle trauma: a 5-year
statewide experience. J Pediatr Surg. 1998;33:1081-3.
- Rodgers GB,
Adler P. Risk factors for all-terrain vehicle injuries: a national case-control
study. Am J Epidemiol. 2001;153:1112-8.
- Helmkamp JC.
All-Terrain vehicle-related deaths and injuries in the United States, 1985-1998.
2001 Congress of Epidemiology Abstracts. Toronto, Canada: 2001.
- Stevens WS,
Rodgers BM, Newman BM. Pediatric trauma associated with all-terrain vehicles.
J Pediatr. 1986;109:25-9.
- Bercher DL,
Staley K, Turner LW, Aitken M. Pediatric injuries resulting from use of all-terrain
vehicles. J Ark Med Soc. 2001;97:351-3.
- Ganos D, Crady
S. Poortenga S, Hoffman G. Mann R. Trauma associated with three- and four-wheeled
all-terrain vehicles: is the four-wheeler an unrecognized health hazard? Am
Surg. 1988;54:429-33..
- Helmkamp JC.
Adolescent all-terrain vehicle deaths in West Virginia, 1990-1998. W V Med
J. 2000;96:361-3.
- Dolan MA, Knapp
JF, Andres J. Three-wheel and four-wheel all-terrain vehicle injuries in children.
Pediatrics. 1989;84:694-8.
- Gibbs L, Lawrence
D, Reilley B. ATV-related central nervous system injuries in Louisiana. J
La State Med Soc. 1997;149:276-8.
- American Academy
of Pediatrics Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention. All terrain vehicle
injury prevention: two-, three-, and four-wheeled unlicensed motor vehicles.
Pediatrics. 2000;105:1352-4.
- Rodgers GB.
The effectiveness of helmets in reducing all-terrain vehicle injuries and
deaths. Accid Anal Prev. 1990;22:47-58.
All-terrain
vehicle (ATV) professional resource packet
pages:
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(updated: 7/24/02)
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