Pediatric ATV Injuries Down, But Still Occur Too Frequent: Study

Despite evidence that suggests the number of injuries from all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents has decreased over the last decade, new research suggests that rates of bone fractures, deaths and other problems among youths operating off-road vehicles remains too high. 

According to a study published this week in the medical journal Pediatrics , researchers note that there are still far too many children under the age of 17 years of age who are severely injured or killed while riding ATVs in the United States, suggesting the need for continued preventive guidelines to prevent further injuries to children.

A group of researchers lead by Dr. Mariano Garay performed a retrospective study to establish the incidence, mortality rate and fracture location of pediatric patients injured or killed while using an ATV. The study was initiated for the purpose gathering injury and fatality data to determine whether proper preventive guidelines are in place to keep children safe from ATV crashes.

Researchers pulled ATV injury and fatality data from the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF), which collects trauma related injury data statewide from 32 trauma centers across Pennsylvania. At least 1,912 individuals were identified who suffered an ATV injury between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2014. The annual mean incidence rate was 6.2 patients per 100,000 children under the age of 18 years of age, with the median age of patients being 14 years of age.

While reviewing the timeline of injury rates, researchers discovered there was a decrease of 13.4% in the average injury rate when comparing the first five years of the study with the last six years, indicating the annual injury rates are decreasing. However, the mortality rate remained constant.

Over the period of the study, 28 fatalities were reported in Pennsylvania, averaging a mortality incidence of 0.09 deaths per 100,000 children. When comparing the first five years of the study to the last six, this fatality ratio remained constant.

Of the injury data collected, researchers found the average length of hospital stays were between three and nine days and the average patient age was 14 years. The majority, 55%, of the injuries sustained consisted of at least one bone fracture at or below the cervical spine, with the femur and tibia accounting for nearly 40% of the recorded fractures.

“Despite current guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics, patients younger than 16 years of age remain victims of ATV injuries,” the researchers concluded. “Although there was a 13.4% reduction in the incidence of ATV-related injuries in recent years, continued preventive guidelines are still necessary to avert these injuries in children and adolescents.”

Past research has suggested the majority of fatal ATV accidents involving children happen on vehicles designed to be ridden by adults. Often, children are not able to control the steering or operate the ATV at increased speeds.

According to 2014 findings in a study also published in the medical journal Pediatrics, 95% of ATV deaths involving children occurred on larger ATVs designed for adult riders, as opposed to ATVs designed for younger riders. Girls were more likely to die on ATVs than boys, and the age range of 12-15 years old had the highest proportion of fatalities.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that riders always wear helmets and other essential safety gear when operating an ATV. The commission also recommends never riding an off-road vehicle not designed for your weight class, and that parents and guardians make sure youths receive the proper training on how to use the vehicle. The CPSC recommends that children under the age of 11 never operate an ATV.