Children and ATVs Can Be a
Deadly Mix

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) can be a lot of fun and are very popular in our area. But like all powerful vehicles, they can be dangerous for young children.

• ATVs are heavy and powerful. They often weigh 300 to 600 pounds and can go 50 miles per hour or faster. But children often don’t have the strength, motor skills, or driving experience to handle them.
• A report in the journal Pediatrics estimated that more than 108,000 kids age 15 and younger received emergency care for ATV accidents over three years. The kids had broken bones, cuts, and facial injuries. Other research has found that children are four times as likely as adults to die from an ATV injury.
• Experts like the American Academy of Pediatrics and Safe Kids Worldwide, a child safety advocacy network, agree: Unless young people are 16—old enough to have a driver’s license—they should steer clear of ATVs.