Experts are speaking out on the dangers of ATVs for children; there are “thousands” of reports every year of injuries. As parents, we always want our children to have fun, and we want them to take risks. While risks can be scary for parents, they are some of the best ways for children to learn. However, they are best when they are ‘safe risks,’ and there is minimal risk of serious injury.
Children love to ride bikes, scooters, and other mechanical devices. It is fun and exciting. ATVs can seem like the best thing in the world, but they can be incredibly dangerous. Hospitalization records show just how many children are injured as a result.
According to US News and Healthday, thousands of US children have died from ATV accidents, with many more being sent to emergency rooms. Experts are stating that this is a strong reminder to parents about not letting their children on them.
Dr. Rony Marwan is a pediatric surgeon, and he has seen many children who have been seriously injured from accidents while riding an ATV. He has even said that his own children are not allowed to ride ATVs, due to everything he has seen.
To break it down, every hour, four children in the US go to the emergency room due to injuries they sustained due to ATV accidents. Between the years 1982 and 2015, more than 3,000 children have lost their lives, and these are all preventable deaths. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have now put together a new report on ATV safety in the hopes of bringing these numbers down.
In general, their new report states that children under the age of 16 should never be on, or near an ATV. This means that they should not be driving it, and they should also not be riding with another person. It has also been noted that there has been an increase in ATV injuries/deaths during the pandemic, as families saw them as an activity they could do during lockdowns and other restrictions.
The main concern is that youth are not following all the rules when it comes to ATV riding. They are not wearing helmets, they are riding alone, riding on dirt roads, and riding a vehicle that is too big for them. The injuries that can happen from an ATV accident are grotesque, and they can be life-altering and fatal, and it is always better to just stay away from them.