ATV riding and helmet use among youth aged 12–17 years, USA, 2011: results from the YouthStyles survey

Abstract

BackgroundNational estimates of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riding patterns among youth in the USA are lacking.MethodsWe analysed the 2011 YouthStyles survey to estimate the proportion of 12–17 year olds in the USA who had ridden an ATV at least once during the past 12 months and summarise their patterns of helmet use.ResultsOf the 831 youth respondents, an estimated 25% reported riding an ATV at least once during the past year. The proportion of youth living outside of a Metropolitan Statistical Area who reported riding an ATV was twice that of those living inside of a Metropolitan Statistical Area. Males and females reported similar proportions of riding at least once during the past year, but among riders, the proportion of males who rode ≥6 times was triple that of females. Only 45% of riders reported always wearing a helmet, and 25% reported never wearing a helmet. The most frequent riders had the lowest consistent helmet use, with 8 of 10 youth who rode ≥6 times during the past year not always wearing a helmet.ConclusionsATV riding appears to remain popular among youth in the USA, particularly in rural areas, and consistent helmet use while riding is low. A more thorough understanding of gender differences in ATV riding patterns among youth and perceived risks and benefits of both safe and unsafe riding practices might help inform future ATV injury prevention efforts.

Age Legislation and Off-Road Vehicle Injuries in Children

“…18 Although lifesaving, routine helmet use by children occurs <50% of the time, recent literature suggests. 35 Additionally, although helmets are successful in the prevention of trauma to the head and neck, crush injuries from rollovers onto smaller children have not been impacted by helmet laws. 36,37 Age restrictions were missing from state ORV laws before the early 1990s.…”

“…This is significant in that orthopedic and crush injuries from rollovers on to smaller children are thought to contribute significantly to morbidity. 35,36,41 Vehicles with larger engines that are designed for adults have been consistently shown to increase the risk for fatalities and injuries in children. 42,43 After the implementation of the engine size restriction in Massachusetts, the rate of ED visits fell by 39% from 52 to 32 per 100 000 persons in the 14-to 17-year-old age group.…”

Pediatric and adolescent injury in adventure and extreme sports

“…It is also of interest to consider reasons for observed change in incidence and distribution of injury over time. For example, a national study of injury rates (per 100,000 youth) for paediatric ATV-related injuries showed an increased rate from 50 to 67 (2001 vs. 2004) followed by a decrease to 42 by 2010 (Shults & West, 2015). The reasons for the decrease in deaths and injuries seen after the peak years remain unknown but may reflect the growing popularity of recreational off-road vehicles (Denning & Jennissen, 2018).…”

The Effect of Passengers on All-Terrain Vehicle Crash Mechanisms and Injuries

“…Studies repeatedly show that carrying passengers is a common riding practice [4,6,12,13,15,17,31]. However, although some riders are no doubt aware that most ATVs are designed for a single rider, this knowledge is by no means universal [16,32].…”