Multiple ATV Accidents Were Reported Across The Country Of In The Last 24 Hours Leave Some Looking At Proper Safety For ATV Use.
Safety concerns over ATV accidents are on the rise as the number of adults and children injured or killed while driving ATVs increases. With four accidents occurring in just 24 hours, two of them fatal, ATV safety is more importnat than ever. Individuals across the country are demanding greater regulation on ATV safety, on both public and private property.
According to news reports, in past days a man from Cape Cod was injured while riding an ATV. Another man was hospitalized after he was involved with a rollover ATV accident. A third man was killed while riding an ATV in Wisconsin. And a young child was killed in Iowa while operating an ATV. These four victims were involved in ATV accidents ranging from rollover crashes to general crashes.
According to the ATV accident reports, the man from Cape Cod was injured when he crashed the ATV into a wall or another barrier. The man from West Virginia was seriously injured in a rollover accident that necessitated air transport to the nearest hospital. The man from Wisconsin was not so lucky as he was killed when his ATV rolled down a steep hill as he was carrying a load of wood up an embankment. The boy from Iowa was operating an ATV on private property when he was killed when the ATV landed on top of him after a crash. The boy was just four years old, and manufacturers recommend children no younger than six operate even child-sized ATVs.
Aside from basic safety recommendations, such as wearing a helmet and strapping into ATVs with safety harnesses, there is little regulation for ATV use on private property. Typically, individuals without a driver & rsquo;s license cannot operate an ATV on public roadways, but there is no such regulation on private property. Some states require the use of helmets and ATV operation training, but most ATV use is largely unregulated, which is one reason why the accident and fatality rate remian so high. Most states either have an age-minimum requirement, require the use of a helmet and eye protection or both. [http://www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/all-terrain-vehicle-safety-laws-by-state.aspx, October 2015].
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Ohio ATV accidents account for about 20 fatalities each year. Children in Ohio ae injured or killed in one-third of all ATV accidents in Ohio. In the past several years, about 80 children in Ohio have died in fatal ATV accidents. Commonly, children and adults suffer injuries in the head, neck, arm, and leg. If passengers do not wear helmets or take safety precautions, they are more likely to be killed. Between 2010 and 2013, 78 individuals in Ohio died in ATV accidents, a number greater than than that of 25 other states. [cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/ATV-Safety-Information-Center/, October 2015]
With the staggering number of ATV accident reports it brings concern on whether there is enough ATV laws and regulations and do we need more to protect our riders and pedestrians.
[capecodtimes.com/article/20151005/NEWS/151009705/101015,
wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view§ion=5-News&item=One-Injured-in-Barbour-County-ATV-Rollover-25963, weau.com/home/headlines/One-person-dead-after-fatal-ATV-accident-in-Vernon-County-330582451.html, http://www.kwwl.com/story/30181755/2015/10/04/four-year-old-dies-in-atv-accident, October 2015]
