ATV Accident Death and Injury Statistics – Arkansas
The Magnolia Reporter issued a report in September 2015, stating Arkansas had one of the highest childhood ATV death rates. It also reported that, in 2014, two children injured in all-terrain vehicle accidents were admitted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital per week. The problem was deemed so important that the Arkansas Infant and Child Death Review Program conducted studies, citing the dangers of four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles, particularly in rural areas, and those associated with not wearing helmets and other safety gear.
Data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission show the state ranks #13 in terms of overall ATV deaths between 1982 and 2015, with 387. However, state law has addressed some of the dangers of crashes, fires, and explosions. It prohibits driving all-terrain vehicles on public roads unless they are crossing to access farmland or hunting grounds. On public streets, they can be driven short distances between trails. Other laws include:
- A requirement to use headlights and taillights from ½ hour past sunset to ½ hour before the sun rises.
- Anyone under 12 years old must be accompanied by someone 18 or older. They must be on their parent’s land or have the permission of the landowners to ride.
- Owners must register three- and four-wheeled ATVs, and place a numbered decal on their vehicle.
- A registered owner can obtain a title for their vehicle.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported there were 50 ATV-related deaths in Arkansas between 2007 and 2011. A death rate of 35 per 10 million people puts it well behind West Virginia’s 104.9 per 10 million individuals.
ATV Accidents in the News
The consequences of all-terrain vehicle accidents are just as devastating in Arkansas as anywhere else. In June 2017, an eight-year-old girl riding with her step-mother in an ATV was killed when the vehicle overturned in Jefferson County. Not wearing a helmet, she was ejected from the vehicle, which then landed on top of her. A 15-year-old boy was killed in July after losing control of his vehicle and rolling over, in Camden, where 35 other people participated in an annual ride. In North Little Rock, a 19-year-old man was thrown from an ATV on Interstate 40 in May 2016. The accident occurred when the vehicle struck concrete bridge.
Accident risk factors such as neglect to wear safety gear and the tendency for all-terrain vehicles to overturn are present in many incidents in Arkansas. Experience and training are important as well. Riders need to know how to operate their vehicle to reduce the chances of losing control and know the signs of trouble such as a fuel leak, which can lead to injuries resulting from fires and explosions.