Journal
INJURY-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE CARE OF THE INJURED
Volume 34, Issue 3, Pages 203-205Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/S0020-1383(02)00317-0
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All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are fast, powerful machines that pose a significant threat to public safety. In the USA, ATVs are responsible for 273 deaths and over 68,000 injuries each year. As the incidence of ATV-related accidents in Britain and Ireland is unknown we carried out a prospective audit of all patients presenting to our Accident and Emergency Departments with ATV-related trauma over a 1-year period. Of 32 patients with ATV-associated injuries, 10 were under 16 years of age and 23 had no previous experience of operating an ATV. We documented 24 fractures (2 open) and I tension pneumothorax. Helmet usage was high and head injuries were few and not of a serious nature. Two-thirds of injuries occurred on commercial adventure sports courses. Since ATVs are off-road vehicles, they are exempt from safety regulations that apply to other forms of transport. As care-providers to trauma victims, we must make prevention of these injuries a priority and campaign for both voluntary and legislative controls to make ATV use a safer leisure pursuit. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
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