Characteristics of Side-by-Side Vehicle Crashes and Related Injuries as Determined Using Newspaper Reports from Nine U.S. States

Abstract

Abstract:Side-by-side (SxS) vehicles have become increasingly popular, but there are few reports on injury epidemiology. Newspaper reports of SxS and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes were analyzed for nine U.S. states from 2009 to 2011, including comparisons between the two vehicle types. Seventy-nine SxS crashes involving 104 injured victims were identified; three-fourths were males. There was a relatively high percentage of injured passengers (37%), and a higher proportion of female victims were passengers as compared to males (p = 0.015). Children <16 years of age were 44% of those injured and had the highest proportion of both passenger and operator victims as compared to other age groups. Over half of the crashes occurred on roadways; nearly two-fifths occurred at night. As compared to adults, a lower percentage of crashes involving youth were at night (p = 0.0037) but the percentages on roadways were similar. Only one in five roadway SxS crashes involved a collision with a motorized vehicle. Rollovers were the most common mechanism (50%). Two-thirds of victims were ejected, and one-half were struck or pinned by the vehicle. Twenty-eight deaths (27%) were reported. Although most current SxSs have roll bars, lack of safety belt use has likely reduced their benefit. Children should be prohibited from operating SxSs.

Recreational off-highway vehicle crashes resulting in victims being treated at a regional trauma center: mechanisms and contributing factors

“…Almost two-thirds of patients in our study were males. This proportion is similar to the 2016 CPSC report (68%), the 2018 CPSC/FARS study (71%), and the newspaper article study (70%) (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2016; Richardson et al, 2018;Jennissen et al, 2016). In contrast, the pediatric trauma center study reported males comprised only 55% of victims (Linnaus et al, 2017).…”

“…Consistent with this, we found about half of those injured were passengers. The newspaper article study reported passengers were 37% of victims (Jennissen et al, 2016). In contrast to ROVs, almost all ATVs are designed for an operator only, and previous studies found passengers were about 15-22% of ATV-related injuries and deaths (Jennissen et al, 2016;Denning et al, 2013a;Denning et al, 2013b;Denning et al, 2014;.…”

“…A study of newspaper articles from nine Midwestern and Great Plains states from 2009 to 2011 reported 79 crashes with 104 victims (Jennissen et al, 2016). Finally, researchers at a pediatric trauma center studying off-road vehicle crashes (Linnaus et al, 2017).…”

Age Legislation and Off-Road Vehicle Injuries in Children

“…ORVs are motorized vehicles with 3 or more wheels designed for use over off-road terrain, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and side by sides (SxSs), which include both utility terrain vehicles and recreational off-highway vehicles. 1,2 ATVs are typically 4-wheeled ORVs with handlebars for steering and seats intended to be straddled by the driver. They have high centers of gravity and can achieve high speeds, making them unstable and unsafe for children.…”

“…5,6 SxSs were involved in 335 fatalities and 506 injuries over a similar time frame, with drivers younger than 16 years old contributing to >50% of the incidents. 1,2 The significant morbidity and mortality associated with the use of ORVs by children has led to medical societies, legislators, and health care providers advocating for federal safety standards and injury prevention legislation. 3,5,7,8 ORV injury prevention efforts began in the late 1980s when the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and members of the ATV industry entered a 10-year consent decree that included the banning of 3-wheeled vehicles, a free nationwide training program offered to purchasers of new ATVs, and age recommendations for ATV use.…”