Oct. 17, 2011 As all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use continues to
grow, so does the number of injuries. Children comprise about
one-third of the 130,000 to 150,000 ATV-related emergency
department visits each year and one-quarter of the more than 800
deaths. In fact, more children are injured from ATV crashes each
year than from bicycles. Two research abstracts, presented Oct.
17 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National
Conference and Exhibition in Boston, provide insights into the
potential causes of ATV crashes as well as much-needed safety
precautions. The AAP does not recommend ATV use by children
under age 16. In the first study, "All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV)
Related Injuries: Mechanisms and Contributing Factors,"
researchers reviewed ATV injury data at the University of Iowa
from 2002 to 2009. Of the 345 injury cases, 80 percent involved
males, and 30 percent were age 16 or younger. Less than 20
percent of riders wore helmets, with drivers more likely than
passengers to wear helmets, and children mor