Child ATV Deaths Persist into Summer 2017

The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s latest numbers on ATV accidents reveals that over 93,000 people were injured and treated in emergency departments in 2014. It also reported 24,800 injuries involving children that year. The pattern of children getting injured, or even killed, in ATV accidents continues. On July 10, 2017, local news media reported that a 12-year-old girl was one of three children killed in Marion County, Florida. The vehicle was driven by an 11-year-old boy, who along with a 7-year-old passenger, was not injured.

Recent deaths involving children on all-terrain vehicles have been reported in many locations. They include:

• A 13-year-old boy killed in an accident on July 12, in Fayette County, Tennessee.
• A 14-year-old boy who died due to head trauma after an ATV competition at Spring Creek Motorcross Park in Minnesota.
• An 11-year-old boy, who was not wearing a helmet, succumbed to head injuries after a crash in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. Seat or helmets were not being used, according to patrols.
• An 18-year-old from Valdosta, Georgia, was killed after losing control of an all-terrain vehicle while turning.
• In Jacksonville, Florida, a 16-year-old girl died after being pinned under an ATV on July 7.

A Pattern of Increasing Child ATV Deaths

The number of fatalities involving children due to ATV crashes, fires, and explosions is so concerning the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a report in February 2017. It was issued following the release of the 2015 Annual Report of ATV-Related Deaths and Injuries by the CPSC, which details the statistics from the latest year information is available from. In 2014, 11,400 children under 12 sustained serious injuries from all-terrain vehicle accidents, and 13,400 did in 2015.

In March 2014, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) released a report on the use of ATVs on roads. “ATVs on Roadways: A Safety Crisis” covers the increasing use and permission by states for riders to use public paved roads, and the dangers to consumers and the public. The CFA and AAP have also called for models targeting young riders to be discontinued by manufacturers.

ATVs Are Dangerous for Children

According to Kidshealth.org, many of the risks of driving all-terrain vehicles come from the high rate of collisions and rollovers. They are also unstable. It can be hard to control such a vehicle, especially if one does not have experience or is of a young age. If a young person drives an ATV, recommendations suggest they fully understand how to safely operate a vehicle and learn the proper safety precautions. Still, it can be difficult to operate a vehicle that weighs hundreds of pounds and can travel at highway speeds over rough terrain. The lack of safety cages, roll bars, and other protective elements, and a high center of gravity, also increases the risk of serious injury or death as a result of crashes and ATV fires and explosions.