Study Promotes Keeping Children Off ATVs
From Times Wire Reports
Children under age 16 should not be allowed to ride all-terrain vehicles because the vehicles can be deadly for youngsters even when riders are required to wear helmets, researchers said.
Nearly half the 70 children under 16 who were killed in ATV crashes that were reported in two states between 1997 and mid-2000 were caused by head injuries, and mortality rates were similar with or without a helmet being worn.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, which publishes the journal Pediatrics, has recommended children under 16 not be allowed to drive ATVs.
The study examined 1,080 injuries suffered by child riders in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
