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In Brief
A School-Based Study of Adolescent All-Terrain Vehicle Exposure, Safety Behaviors, and Crash Experience
Charles A. Jennissen , and colleagues
Background More American youth are killed each year in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes than on bicycles, and since 2001, one-fifth of all ATV fatalities have involved victims aged 15 years or younger. This study set out to better understand ATV riding practices among 11-16 year-old students in Iowa.
What This Study Found Most survey participants have ridden an ATV, practiced unsafe riding behaviors, and experienced at least one crash. 77% of students, regardless of rural or urban location, have been on an ATV, with 38% of those riding daily or weekly. Among ATV riders, 57% have been in a crash. Most riders have engaged in risky behaviors, including riding with passengers (92%), on public roads (81%) or without a helmet (64%). Almost 60% report engaging in all three behaviors, and only 2% engage in none.
Implications
- The authors recommend that primary care clinicians determine if their patients, even relatively young and non-rural patients, are exposed to ATVS and, if so, consider injury prevention counseling.