Child ATV injuries rising during COVID-19

ATVs are a popular vehicle for both work and play on many farmyards across rural America. The Hagstrom Report says child injuries on all-terrain vehicles typically surge in summer when children are out of school. The National Children’s’ Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety says that surge began earlier than normal when schools shut down because of COVID-19. “When schools went out and kids were home, we saw more injuries than we normally do,” says Charles Jennissen, a pediatric emergency physician and professor at the University of Iowa. “The overall number of injuries are probably four-to-five times higher because many don’t end up in the ER.” The American Academy of Pediatrics says in the U.S., about 40,000 children under the age of 16 are treated in emergency departments for ATV-related injuries each year. The academy recommends that children younger than 16 not operate ATVs. Jennissen says ATVs have a saddle-seat and handlebars that make the vehicle relatively unsteady. A high center of gravity and a narrow track is a combination that makes them a higher risk for rolling over. “More kids in the U.S. under 16 die from ATVs than bicycle crashes,” Jennissen adds, emphasizing the statistic applies primarily to younger children.