In 2016, 53 at least kids died because of an all-terrain vehicle; another 26,800 kids checked in at an emergency room because of them. Those numbers, though, are preliminary and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission expects them to go up as more data is collected for that year.
“ATVs are one of the most dangerous products CPSC regulates, causing more deaths and injuries than almost any other product under CPSC’s jurisdiction,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel for the Consumer Federation of America, in a press release on the American Academy of Pediatric’s website.
A volunteer from Sea Turtle Inc. uses an ATV to patrol the beach at South Padre Island. ATVs should not be used by children, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends. Photo by Pam LeBlanc/June 2015
She continues: “Children are not developmentally capable of operating these heavy, complex machines. We can and must do more to prevent these incidents in the first place and protect children from further harm.”
The CPSC recommends that children ages 12-15 not ride ATVs with engines larger than 90 cc’s. The AAP recommends that no child under age 16 ride an ATV of any size.