Out of the WOODS
ATV eduction driving force behind injury prevention
When it comes to the safety of their children, there’s no parallel to parents’ love and protection. Although deemed “uncool” by kids, parents can never be too safe when it comes to all-terrain-vehicle safety.
According to atvsafety.org, an ATV is any motorized offhighway vehicle designed to travel on four low-pressure tires and having a seat designed to be straddled by the operator and handlebars for steering control. Single-rider ATVs are intended for use by a single operator and no passenger.
While called all-terrain, ATVs aren’t actually meant for all terrains. In fact, those driving an ATV should avoid paved roads and loose gravel.
“Public paved roads tend to lead to more-serious injuries — the larger the vehicles, the more serious it tends to be,” said Mary Aitken, general pediatrics doctor at Arkansas Children’s in Little Rock. “Injuries range from traumatic brain injuries, extremity fractures and amputations, internal injuries and multisystem injuries, depending on the severity of the crash. Some ATV riders who are injured escape with a broken bone, but many others have life-threatening or lifelong disabilities as a result of their injuries.”
These injuries occur in all ages, but the graph indicates a near-steady rise in ATV-injury admissions.
“It’s a challenge to track. Overall, here at Arkansas Children’s, we’re seeing between 85 and 95 injuries a year, within the past few years,” Aitken said.
The graph spikes in 2014 with a surge of nearly 110 child injuries, but the numbers have been fairly consistent since 2011. The largest age group of children with ATV injuries is 10- to 14-year-olds.
“Many of the injured are passengers on an ATV,” she added. “The typical ATV isn’t designed to carry passengers, including children. ATVs with the long straddled seat are so the rider can balance the vehicle.”
Education is key in ATV safety, as the injuries are 100 percent avoidable. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has implemented ATV safety training into its hunting training, as most hunters use ATVs.
“When I teach classes with younger kids for our rider courses, it is very eye-opening to see the lack of motor skills that most children have while trying to operate an ATV,” said Jesse Bocksnick, Arkansas 4-H outdoor skills coordinator and instructor at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. “When parents see this, they are often shocked that their child had trouble operating a proper-sized machine, such as a 50cc or 90cc machine.”
Bocksnick added that parents had anticipated getting their children an adult machine in most cases so they wouldn’t have to invest in a second machine when the children get older, when really the larger machine is a danger to their well-being, as a child is unlikely to handle the oversized ATV properly.
Education starts with the parents or guardians, as they’re the ones who hold the key for the children. Parents need to know the risks, as well as the real maturity requirements and physical requirements, of riding an ATV, Aitken said.
“I think everyone needs to be trained,” Aitken added. “If parents are riding, they should be modeling safe behavior on the ATVs, such as wearing a helmet, wearing the right equipment and making sure they understand how the vehicles are designed to be used.”
Education and proper equipment come from the training parents can get from point-of-sale or through the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. There are unreasonable misconceptions about ATVs and safety when it comes to