Child ATV Injuries Still Climbing in U.S.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A growing number of U.S. children are suffering broken bones and other injuries while riding all-terrain vehicles, according to government statistics published Monday.

Researchers found that the rate of ATV-related injuries among children younger than 16 rose by one-quarter between 2001 and 2003 -- continuing an upward trend that has been noted since the 1990s.

Across the three-year period, the study found, an estimated 108,724 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries sustained while riding an ATV.

"Current legal and regulatory standards have been ineffective in reducing injuries among young ATV riders," conclude the study authors, led by Dr. Ruth A. Shults of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

They report their findings in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics.

A majority of U.S. states have set age requirements for riding adult-size ATVs -- four-wheel vehicles that generally weigh between 300 and 600 pounds and are intended for off-road use.

However, in some states the minimum age is as young as 12, and laws may grant exceptions in cases where an adult is supervising. In addition, only a minority of states has helmet laws.

Research in recent years has pointed to a general rise in ATV injuries and deaths in the U.S., with children younger than 16 being involved in a substantial portion of these accidents. Some groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have called for a ban on ATV use by anyone younger than age 16.

The new findings, based on data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), point to a continuing upward trend in non-fatal injuries to children riding ATVs. Fractures were the most common injury, followed by contusions, lacerations and internal injuries.

Boys between the ages of 11 and 15 suffered more than half of all injuries, but girls and younger children also accounted for a large share. Overall, 23 percent of injuries were sustained by children between the ages of 6 and 10.

The reason for the rise in injuries is unclear, Shults told Reuters Health, but industry data show that ATV sales are increasing, so it's possible that more children are riding the vehicles.

Children, Shults pointed out, often lack the strength and coordination to operate an ATV properly, so they run a greater risk of injury than adults do. She suggested parents carefully consider whether their children have the necessary physical strength, skills and judgment before letting them ride an ATV.

The CDC, Shults said, does not have an official position on whether children younger than 16 should be allowed to ride ATVs.

For its part, the CPSC is currently reviewing all rules and regulations governing ATV use. Earlier this year, the commission released its own report on ATV injuries; last year, it said, nearly 45,000 children younger than 16 visited the emergency room for an injury -- accounting for one-third of all such injuries.

SOURCE: Pediatrics, November 2005.