Doctor's say keep kids off ATV's

[UbeenSmoked]

Found this on a site thought i would share it with everyone here . sorry to long have to put it on another page

SAN DIEGO -- Trauma experts at Children's Hospital asked parents Tuesday to keep children under 16 off all-terrain vehicles.

Children shouldn't ride the ATVs under any circumstances, even if the vehicle's engine is a small 90 cubic centimeters, even if they take safety courses and even if their wear helmets and other protective equipment, doctors told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

"It's all about the life-threatening and life-injuring head and cervical spine injuries and the broken bones," Dr. Susan Duthie, a pediatric intensive-care specialist at Children's Hospital, told the newspaper.

Despite safety measures, "these bikes are very powerful, they're very heavy and they go very fast," she told the Union-Tribune. "We hear the parents say, 'I did everything I could do.' Maybe the best thing they could have done was not have their child on that ATV."

[UbeenSmoked]

In the past 11 months, 117 children under age 16 riding ATVs in desert areas were taken by helicopter or ambulance to Children's Hospital with severe injuries, the newspaper reported. Since 2000, Children's has received an average of 67 such patients each year.

Nationally, the number of injuries and deaths from all-terrain vehicles has grown steadily, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Emergency room visits for children under 16 rose from 19,300 in 1995 to 37,100 in 2002.

In California, people under 18 must take a safety course or be under the direct supervision of an adult who has a safety certificate in his or her possession. Children 13 or younger aren't allowed to operate an ATV without supervision from a parent or guardian.


Matt

[Pappy]

funny thing.....

i know a 7 year old that raced his 90cc atv an entire season...not 1 injury. yet while riding his pedal bike at home he wrecked and it did severe damage.

ride and have fun and assume the risks of living free

[popo]

Aw piss on what doctors say.

[400exdad]

Its really just a matter of time before a crash!!!! But you gotta live! If you sit on the couch (where its safe ) you'll die of obesity!

What really burns my butt is, of those statistics, how many were cases where the parents were not supervising, making the kids where the proper gear and following the general ATV rules!

[muddkitten]

i've been riding way before i turned 16 and i have never gotten hurt or wrecked my ride. i'm just lucky i guess or i don't get stupid. i better find some wood to knock on i'm going riding this weekend. lol

[quad_45]

Originally posted by 400exdad


What really burns my butt is, of those statistics, how many were cases where the parents were not supervising, making the kids where the proper gear and following the general ATV rules! [/B]

I completely agree. I have been riding since I could walk and racing since I was 8 yo. I have had MANY crashes, but I had all the proper gear on! If you are going to spend money on a quad, then why can't you spend the money on safety too!?!?

[Lil - Braff]

So it's okay for lil kids to ride dirtbikes but not ATVs?? WTF!?! I've wrecked a couple times and got hurt but kinda like Pappy said... riding a bike, swinging on a swing set, or even walking down the street can be just as dangerous.

[geogeorge]

Originally posted by 400exdad
Its really just a matter of time before a crash!!!! But you gotta live! If you sit on the couch (where its safe ) you'll die of obesity!

What really burns my butt is, of those statistics, how many were cases where the parents were not supervising, making the kids where the proper gear and following the general ATV rules!

a few years ago a 18 year lod kid got his neck broke riding on a ATV. the local news ran a story on that for four days stirate . a week later the paper had a small story on it. truns out the kid was playing chicken with his friends on the ATV. So who's falt was it? Not the ATV's.

[jesshamner]

I like how they said that the injuries have been growing steadily, but they fail to mention that the atv sales has been growing very rapidly. I guess there will always be somone that has a problem with things like these. I say screw them. Let them raise their own kids. I'll raise mine....when I decide to have children. Be prepared for a new warning label on the new atvs. It will be a surgeon general's warning