All-terrain vehicles: injuries and prevention

All-terrain vehicles, including three- and four-wheeled recreation and utility off-road motorized devices, are a serious risk to the public especially to children younger than 16 years. Statistics show the injuries, which often are musculoskeletal in nature, and fatalities are increasing: in 2002, approximately 111,000 people sustained injuries related to all-terrain vehicles. Although agencies such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission initially recognized and restricted three-wheeler sales, they largely have failed to address the problem caused by other all-terrain vehicles during the past 10 years. To reduce the frequency and severity of injuries from all-terrain vehicles, numerous methods have been recognized and discussed. State and federal laws are needed to implement these methods to protect the public; these legislative solutions also are included in the discussion.