The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2018 Annual Report of ATV-Related Deaths and Injuries, released in February 2020, confirms that injuries related to all-terrain vehicles continue to decline.
Assessing a 10-year period (2009-2018), CPSC staff cited a statistically significant overall decrease of 38% in ATV-related emergency department-treated injury estimates. The decrease of 13% in the estimated number of ATV-related emergency department-treated injuries from 2017 to 2018 also was found to be statistically significant.
“The commitment to safety education and training by the member companies of the ATV Safety Institute and the CPSC is clearly contributing to the decline in ATV injuries,” said Erik Pritchard, ATV Safety Institute chief executive officer. “The ATV Safety Institute aggressively reaches out to new ATV owners to urge them to take our free hands-on training and our e-Courses to learn and practice our eight Golden Rules for ATV Safety.
“And we continue to plan our seventh annual ATV Safety Week, currently slated for June, when anyone who owns an ATV can get free hands-on training from ASI licensed instructors at locations throughout the country,” Pritchard said.
ATV owners and non-owners should visit ATVSafety.org for more information about ATV Safety Week. An announcement with more details about how adults and their families can register for training during ATV Safety Week will be made in April.
The ATV Safety Institute’s Golden Rules
- Always wear a Department of Transportation (DOT) compliant helmet, goggles, long sleeves, long pants, over-the-ankle boots, and gloves.
- Never ride on paved roads except to cross when done safely and permitted by law – another vehicle could hit you. ATVs are designed to be operated off-highway.
- Never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Never carry a passenger on a single-rider ATV, and no more than one passenger on an ATV specifically designed for two people.
- Ride an ATV that’s right for your age.
- Supervise riders younger than 16; ATVs are not toys.
- Ride only on designated trails and at a safe speed.
- Take a hands-on ATV RiderCourse and the free online E-Course. Visit ATVsafety.org or call 800.887.2887.
Link: ATV Safety Institute
