Initially three-wheeled ATV’s were very popular but it soon became apparent that the triangular wheel base design was not very stable on rugged terrain, resulting in relatively easy rollover accidents.  Unfortunately, many of these vehicles were sold for children and these accidents resulted in a relatively high number of permanent injuries and deaths.  Consequently, in the late 1980’s the Consumer Products Safety Commission negotiated a Consent Decree to prohibit the further sale of new three-wheel ATV’s.  Further, instead of prohibiting the sale of ATV’s for the use of children, the court finalized the Consent Decree requiring manufacturers to include certain age “recommendations” in their ATV advertising. 

  Unfortunately, these measures have not been effective in preventing death and injury of children from ATV-related accidents.  Deaths and injuries on four-wheel ATV’s have steadily increased each year since their introduction and every year almost 100 children die and 20,000 sustain major injuries riding ATV’s.  The manufacturers’ age “recommendations” are clearly not effective in protecting children.  Many ATV dealers continue to sell adult-sized ATV’s for use by children.  A discreet survey of dealers found that 54 percent of the ATV dealers surveyed were willing to sell an ATV for use by a 10-year-old.  Most of these vehicles weigh well over 500 pounds and are equipped with enough horsepower to pull the vehicle up an extremely steep grade.  The problem is that children have sufficient skill to advance the throttle of these machines but they lack the judgment that must be simultaneously applied while negotiating rugged terrain.  Further, they typically do not have the body size and strength or the motor skills and coordination needed to safely handle an ATV.

  As a neurosurgeon I have evaluated and treated many people, including children, with all-terrain vehicle-related injuries that have resulted in paraplegia, quadriplegia and brain injury and sometimes death.  I have held the hands and lent my shoulder to many sobbing parents as they hold their paralyzed or dead child and I can tell you that these experiences have left an indelible impression that children were not meant to operate ATV’s.