Download this transcript (20KB)

A CUP OF HEALTH WITH CDC
The Road Less Traveled
All-Terrain Vehicle Fatalities — West Virginia, 1999–2006
April 10, 2008

[Announcer] This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC — safer, healthier
people.

[Susan Aydlotte] Welcome to A Cup of Health with CDC, a weekly feature of the MMWR, the
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. I’m Susan Aydlotte, your host for this week.
Taking the road less traveled can be exciting, but without the proper training and precautions, it
could be deadly. All-terrain vehicles are all the rage in the U.S., especially in rural areas, where
the four-wheeled motorized bikes are often used to access mountain trails or other rugged terrain.
ATVs are also being used on paved roads, and because of their open design, they provide little or
no protection if they crash or rollover. A West Virginia study found that 250 people died in ATV
crashes in a recent eight-year period; over half of these crashes occurred on public roads. Dr.
Aron Hall is an EIS Officer with CDC. He’s joining us today by phone to discuss the dangers of
ATVs. Welcome to the show, Dr. Hall.

[Dr. Hall] Thank you for having me.

[Susan Aydlotte] Dr. Hall, what led you to study this problem, and why the focus on West
Virginia?

[Dr. Hall] Well, we decided to study all-terrain vehicle fatalities here in West Virginia because,
since the 1990s, West Virginia has led the United States in per capita death rates from ATVs,
with rates that have been eight times higher than the national average. So, it’s a problem that
we’ve seen, you know, on a national scale, but West Virginia in particular has shown a more
dramatic increase in these fatalities. And over the last five years in particular, West Virginia has
been number one in just the number of deaths due to all-terrain vehicle crashes in the United
States, despite having a very low population.

[Susan Aydlotte] So, overall in the United States, do you know how many people are injured or
killed while operating ATVs every year?

[Dr. Hall] Well, the estimates on this vary somewhat, but according to the Consumer Product
Safety Commission, over the last five years, there have been about 600 deaths due to ATV
crashes per year.

[Susan Aydlotte] What’s the most common cause of injury or death?

[Dr. Hall] That’s a good question and one that we tried to address in a follow-up study where we
teamed up with medical examiners in the state to address specific injuries incurred. We found
that head injuries and compression injuries, resulting from vehicle rollover and subsequently the
driver becoming pinned underneath the vehicle, were the most common types of injuries.

[Susan Aydlotte] What has West Virginia done to address this problem?

[Dr. Hall] Well, in 2004, the first attempt to really address the problem from a regulatory
standpoint was taken when the first legislation to regulate ATV use was enacted. And this
legislation had provisions that were targeting ATV use on paved roads. It prohibited ATV use on
a certain type of paved road. It also had provision trying to protect children under the age of
eighteen by requiring helmet use and rider training before use.

[Susan Aydlotte] Is there a movement to regulate ATV use in the United States?

[Dr. Hall] Well, the regulation of ATV use is very state-specific; it tends to be governed by state
regulations. So, from one state to the next, there’s considerable variability in what’s allowed
regarding ATV use and what isn’t. However, there have been some national guidelines proposed.
For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics put forth some recommendations in 2000
which offered specific guidelines for legislation to regulate ATV use. They recommend that all
children under the age of sixteen years be prohibited from using ATVs, the argument being that
children under that age just don’t have the coordination to operate that type of vehicle much the
same as they wouldn’t a regular motor vehicle or car. Likewise, they also recommend prohibiting
ATV use on all public highways, which is consistent with manufacturers’ recommendations.

[Susan Aydlotte] What safety precautions can you recommend to ATV riders?

[Dr. Hall] Well, certainly we’d recommend before using an ATV that riders receive appropriate
training. These are powerful vehicles with strong engines, and appropriate training in their use is
essential to safely using them. Absolutely, riders and passengers should be wearing helmets
when operating these vehicles, and obviously, people should not be operating these vehicles if
they’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

[Susan Aydlotte] Where can our listeners get more information about ATV safety?

[Dr. Hall] A good website that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has put together is
called www.atvsafety.gov, and this website actually has state-specific information regarding the
regulations that would apply in your state, as well as statistics specific to your state, as far as
injuries and deaths.

[Susan Aydlotte] Dr. Hall, thanks for sharing this information with our listeners today.

[Dr. Hall] Well, thank you for having me.

[Susan Aydlotte] Well, that’s it for this week’s show. Be sure and join us next week. Until then,
be well. This is Susan Aydlotte for A Cup of Health with CDC.

[Announcer] For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.