Safety for off-road vehicles

A new report has highlighted the risk of crashes involving ATVs being operated off-road by young drivers. According to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the US, ATV injuries led to over 2 million visits to hospital emergency departments in the period between 2000 and 2015. In 2015 alone, there were 108,000 visits to emergency rooms in the US, as a result of ATV crashes.
November 14, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

A new report has highlighted the risk of crashes involving ATVs being operated off-road by young drivers. According to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the US, ATV injuries led to over 2 million visits to hospital emergency departments in the period between 2000 and 2015. In 2015 alone, there were 108,000 visits to emergency rooms in the US, as a result of ATV crashes.

A recent article in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons states that ATV crashes can result in serious brain injuries as well as skull fractures, concussions, spinal fractures, and a range of other broken bones.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) has started a campaign to raise awareness over the risks involving crashes with ATVs.

“While the AAOS campaign, and various other public safety campaigns have had a visible impact on ATV related injuries, more needs to be done,” said Joey Johnson, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and an author of the article titled, “Trends in all-terrain vehicle injuries from 2000 to 2015 and the effect of targeted public safety campaigns.”

Orthopedic surgeons have to deal with the injuries to many patients who end up in hospital emergency facilities following ATV crashes. As a result, AAOS introduced a multimedia campaign in 2007 to highlight the risks facing young and inexperienced drivers.

There was an upward trend in the injury rate from 2000, when the injury rate was 36/100,000 people. The injury rate then peaked in 2007 at 54/100,000. However following the campaign, ATV injuries decreased 34% between 2007 and 2015, dropping back to 34/100,000.

Related Content

  • IRF Geneva steering the working groups of the National ITS Committee in India
    September 28, 2018
    Following the establishment of a National Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Committee by NITI Aayog, three working groups (WGs) have been created with the mission to formulate policy recommendations on education, legal aspects and innovation. IRF has entered into a Statement of Intent (SOI) with NITI Aayog, Govt of India, to work towards a coherent national ITS policy and is accordingly now chairing the work of the three WGs. Eight pillars of priority action have now been identified and ongoing pilots
    Read More
  • 2012 was record road death low in most OECD-IRTAD countries, says report
    May 23, 2013
    The year 2012 is said to have seen the lowest road deaths on record within most OECD (Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development) and IRTAD (International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group) countries. However, the IRTAD Annual Road Safety Report 2013, published yesterday by the International Transport Forum at the OECD, also claims road safety performance in terms of fatalities per 100,000 of population varies considerably among OECD-IRTAD countries. The difference between the best and the w
    Read More
  • WheelRight’s John Catling says put the brakes on under-inflation
    September 30, 2016
    It’s official – Britain’s tyres are unloved and under-inflated, according to recent research. But WheelRight’s chief executive, John Catling, believes that the research results are indicative of a global problem.
    Read More
  • Distracted driving report from European nations
    December 11, 2017
    There are now calls from right across Europe to increase education, enforcement and penalties for distracted driving. Surveys across Europe have revealed worrying attitudes to the use of mobile devices while driving, according to a report by the European Transport and Safety Commission (ETSC). Campaigners are calling for better enforcement, higher penalties, technological solutions and education to raise awareness of the risks. A survey in the Czech Republic found that 36% of drivers admitted using their
    Read More

Highlighted Content