The number of people killed in all-terrain vehicle accidents in Alberta has increased dramatically, prompting two university researchers to call for restrictions on ATV use.
Leah Phillips, co-director of the University of Alberta’s Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research, said she has heard many stories from trauma surgeons about the increase in ATV injuries at Alberta emergency rooms.
Phillips and colleague Kathy Belton decided to test the anecdotal evidence with a more scientific approach and made a number of discoveries:
- The number of deaths from ATV accidents increased 14 percent between 2003 and 2006.
- Emergency departments saw 5,062 ATV-related cases in 2006.
- There were 64 ATV-related deaths between 2002-06.
- More than 90 percent of the deaths were males and 86 percent of those were driving.
- The age of the dead ranged from one to 78 years. Sixteen percent were younger than 16 but most were 20 to 34.
- Of those who died while riding an ATV, 66 percent were not wearing a helmet.
- Of those who were tested for
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alcohol, 58 percent tested positive.
“We don’t want to sound too preachy, but we don’t want to see more kids getting hurt,” Phillips said.
“It’s kind of scary when you see rates increasing every year.”
After studying the statistics, Phillips made three recommendations:
- Children younger than 16 should not be on the machines.
- All riders should wear helmets.
- No alcohol should be consumed before riding.
Phillips said a lack of mandatory licensing requirements for riders and machines makes enforcement of road rules and safe riding difficult, especially on farms where ATVs are considered a handy work vehicle.
She said parents who allow their children to ride ATVs need to ensure helmets are worn and that common sense is used when operating the machines.
“The majority of the people injured in Alberta are not wearing a helmet. It may not be safe to put your kids on it,” she said.
The study found that the most common injury was to the head, caused when vehicles rolled over and riders or drivers hit their heads on rocks or trees. Phillips believes a safety course should be mandatory when ATVs are sold.
The number of new ATVs in Alberta increased to 23,438 units from 10,400 in 2000-06. Alberta accounts for 25 percent of national ATV sales, even though it has only 10 percent of the population.
“At the very minimum, make a user course mandatory.”
The number of accidents in Alberta’s Peace River region are double what they are in other parts of the province.
The rate of emergency room visits in the Peace was 560 per 100,000 compared to 317.8 in other rural areas and the provincial average of 152.2.
Phillips doesn’t know why the Peace region has a higher accident rate but speculates it may be a combination of greater use in rural areas and rougher terrain.
