Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2001
For more information, contact:Joanne L. Swanson(847) 384-4035 [email protected]
A.J. Wright(847) 384-4034 [email protected]
Todd Schuetz(847) 384-4032 [email protected]
ATV-related injuries and deaths among children on the rise
NEW YORK--All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are deadly killers in America's communities. While providing transportation for off road activities and entertainment, they pose a threat to the safety of children, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Very few states require a license to operate an ATV and children, as young as age five, operate these vehicles.
A growing national epidemic, ATV injuries and deaths are skyrocketing. Hospitals and doctors' offices treated more than 254,000 ATV-related injuries in the year 2000, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). It costs the U.S. over $6.5 billion in medical, legal and work loss expenses.
Children under 16 accounted for approximately 40 percent of the total ATV-related injuries and deaths. Last year half of the injuries were fractures and strain/sprains.
"Orthopaedic surgeons are the doctors who see first-hand the fractures, dislocations and other results of ATV injuries," Scott Scutchfield, MD, said today at the Academy's Orthopaedics Update meeting.
"People assume this is a rural problem. But it occurs in every state in the country and the state of New York has the third highest incidence of ATV related injuries," said Dr. Scuthfield, a member of the clinical faculty at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, and University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky.
The ATV industry signed an agreement in 1987 with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to stop the production of 3-wheel ATVs and to institute a free driver education program. In 1998 that agreement expired and the industry voluntarily agreed to continue the agreement. Despite the cooperation with the ATV industry, ATV- related injuries and deaths are still on the rise, especially among children under age 16.
"Training courses should be mandated across the country," Dr. Scutchfield said. "Operators should be licensed on the basis of demonstrated competence in handling the vehicle and its safety hazards. 'The usage of ATVs by children under age 16 must be restricted," he said.
Some preventive measures for reducing your risk of injury include:-Read all instruction manuals-Attend training courses-Require smaller bikes and lower horsepower for children under 16-Never carry passengers-Never operate an ATV on pavement or on a public road-Always wear protective gear-Do not operate at excessive speeds or after dark-Do not operate under use of drugs or alcohol-Never operate a 3-wheeler
Dr. Scutchfield stresses the need for educational programs and model state legislation. The Academy's Position Statement on All-Terrain Vehicles can be viewed online at http://www.aaos.org/wordhtml/papers/postion/atvs.htm.
The 25,500-member American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.aaos.org) or (http://orthoinfo.aaos.org), is a not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals and the public.
An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy is participating in the Bone and Joint Decade (www.boneandjointdecade.org), the global initiative in the years 2000-2010 to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people's quality of life.
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