All-terrain Vehicle Accidents Research Articles

All-terrain vehicle accidents: The experience of one hospital located near a major recreational area

In two separate studies, charts of 169 all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident victims admitted to the emergency department of Desert Hospital in Palm Springs, California, were reviewed. Twenty-four percent of the cases were women, 30% were hospitalized, and 1% (two patients) died. The youngest patient was 3 and the oldest was 76. About 31% had been drinking, and the major type of bony injury (16%) was to the clavicle, ribs, or sternum. The accident rate was calculated as ten accidents per 1,000 ATV rider days, which is comparable to the ski accident rate of six per 1,000 skier days. The three-wheeled variety of ATV is responsible for nearly all the accidents.

Pediatric Head Injury Resulting From All-Terrain Vehicle Accidents

In our experience, accidents involving all-terrain vehicles are an increasingly frequent cause of brain injury in children. The risk associated with operation of these vehicles is not fully appreciated and should be better publicized. We believe that it is possible to delineate several steps that could significantly reduce the risk to the pediatric population without curtailing the recreation altogether. Although construction design has promised to produce safer vehicles, our experience has shown that extreme injury is still possible with the newer four-wheel machine.

Spinal Cord Injury Associated With All-Terrain Vehicle Accidents

Five instances of three-wheeler, all-terrain vehicle accidents resulting in spinal cord injury are presented. Age range of victims was from 7 to 18 years. Of the five cases of spinal cord injury, three resulted in quadriplegia and two in paraplegia. Reports of all-terrain vehicle accidents in childhood from the US Consumer Product Safety Committee are also reviewed. Concerns are raised about the need for further data gathering about instances and types of injuries from these types of vehicles and the safety of use in all ages of children for these heavy, potentially high-speed vehicles.