What are three things that might have prevented the following incident…
 #1. A 400cc ATV carrying the driver and an extra rider is operating on a steep slope and it turns over backward. Both the driver and extra rider die from head injuries.
Possible
Responses

What are three things that might have prevented the following incident…
 #2 A 400cc ATV carrying only the 13 year old driver runs into a ditch in a harvested soybean field while looking for deer tracks.
The ATV overturns leaving the youth with one broken arm and burns on his bare legs and feet.
Possible
Responses

Learning Objectives
 Define specific terms related to compiling ATV data and state those findings.
 Describe common incidents that occur while youth and adolescents are operating ATVs.
 Give specific examples of injuries that occur to youth and adolescents while operating ATVs.

Learning Objectives (cont.)
 Relate specific factors that contribute to injuries and fatalities among youth and adolescents operating ATV’s.
 Identify characteristics that would indicate the ability to safely operate an appropriately sized
ATV.

 All-Terrain Vehicle
 Youth
 Adolescent
 Incident
 Injury
 Fatal Injury/Fatality
Terms
 Data
 Statistics
 Hazard
 Characteristics
 Personal Protective
Equipment

Illinois Vehicle Code Definition

All-Terrain Vehicle
–
Any motorized off-highway device 50 inches or less in width, having a manufacturer’s dry weight of 900 pounds or less, traveling on 3 or more low-pressure tires, designed with a seat or saddle for operator use, and handlebars or steering wheel of steering control.
DOES NOT INCLUDE LAWN MOWERS or GOLF CARTS!

Other Definitions
 Youth – for the purpose of this presentation, the term youth applies to those between the ages of
9 years and15 years.
 Adolescent – for the purpose of this presentation, the term adolescent applies to those between the ages of 16 years and 19 years.

Other Definitions (cont.)
 Incident – unanticipated, sudden event that may cause an undesired outcome such as property damage, bodily injury, or death.
The term implies that many factors had to happen together in order for the event to occur. The term also implies that nearly all incidents are preventable.

Other Definitions (cont.)
 The term incident is used by many involved in safety and health in preference to the term
accident .
 Fatal Injury/Fatality – an injury that causes death/a single instance of death.

Other Definitions (cont.) cold temperatures
 Injury – the physical damage to body tissue resulting from the contact of a person and anything that can cause that damage.

Other Definitions (cont.)
 Hazard – a condition or changing set of circumstances that presents a potential for injury or property damage. The potential or inherent characteristics of an activity or condition which can produce unwanted and harmful consequences.
Did you see a hazard on your way to school today?

Other Definitions (cont.)
 Data – any information collected for a specific purpose. This information can be collected in the form of interviews, surveys, reviews of newspaper clippings, or reviews of death certificates.
I n t e r v w s
I e

Other Definitions (cont.)
 Statistic – a number that describes some characteristic of data that has been collected.
Total number of injuries and percentages of injuries are two examples of statistics.
3
4

Selected National Statistics
 Youth under 16 represented 34% of all ATVrelated emergency room visits.
 ~70% of fatal injuries to youth and adolescents under 19 years involved the head and neck.
 Common non-fatal injuries include broken upper and lower extremities, head injuries, bruises, and scrapes.

Selected National Statistics (cont.)
 Common incidents include rollover crashes, collisions with stationary objects, and falling off the vehicle.
 A national survey indicated that only 36% of riders reported wearing a helmet all the time when operating and ATV.
 Under 16 year old operators are four times more likely than those over 16 to experience an injury.

 Most youth do not possess:
– Physical size, strength, coordination and motor skills to operate the size ATV they are riding
– The cognitive capacity to look for and react to potential hazards
– Judgment not to act impulsively
– Long attention spans and therefore are easily distracted

 Many adolescents may possess:
– Physical size, strength, coordination, and motor skills to operate an ATV, but the ATV is too large.
– Cognitive capacity to look for/react to potential hazards, but ride too fast and lack experience.
– Good judgment, but this can be impaired by peer pressure, being self-absorbed, and being distracted by other thoughts and upcoming activities (sporting events, dates, etc.)

Characteristics
 Characteristics in this presentation refer to distinct traits, features, or qualities that are found with those that operate ATVs safely.
 Absence of characteristics have been found to contribute to injury and fatality incidents, making them important to consider when making the decision to ride or not ride an
ATV.

Characteristics (cont.)
 Training program - Has the person participated in a training program? This information on training can be obtain from an ATV dealer.
Can the operator perform a pre-ride inspection on the ATV they will be operating?
 Maturity
– Has the operator exhibited good decision making skills in other areas? Is the operator routinely considerate of others? Timely?
Overly impulsive? Usually follows directions?

Characteristics (cont.)
 Physical Size
– When the operator stands on the foot-pegs, there should be 3 - 6 inches of clearance between the seat and crotch.
– When the operator is seated, the leg from the hip to the knee should be approximately horizontal.
– When seated in a normal position, the reach to the handlebars should include a bent elbow, not straight out.

Age Recommendations by Model Size
ATV Model Size
Under 70cc
70 - 90cc over 90cc
150 cc & over
Minimum Age
6 yrs and older
12 yrs and older
16 yrs and older
16 yrs and older
Weight Capacity
70 Lbs
250 Lbs
250 Lbs
300 Lbs
* It is important to note that in recent years many people advocate that no one under the age of 16 should be allowed to ride an ATV. Based on the information in this presentation, why would that be true?

Characteristics (cont.)
 Physical Strength
– Once properly fitted to the ATV, does the operator have the strength needed to alternate body positions for turning and to grip the handle-bars for turning and over rough terrain?

Characteristics (cont.)
 Coordination and Motor Skills
– Has the operator successfully performed necessary skills under supervision? Turning?
Uphill? Downhill? Traversing slopes? Under various environmental and traffic conditions?

Personal Protective Equipment
 DOT-, Snell, or ANSI-approved helmet
– Bicycle helmets are not acceptable! Helmet should contain Dept. of Transportation label, Snell Memorial
Foundation Label, or ASNI Z90.1 label. Should be replaced following single incident.
 Goggles/Glasses
– Regular glasses or sunglasses are not acceptable! Glasses should have VESC8 (V-8) or Z87.1 in one corner. They should also be ventilated to prevent fogging of goggles.
There should be a brow bar and side shield.

ANSI Z87 marking

Glasses
Glasses come in various styles and also colors such as clear, smoke, and yellow.
ANSI Z87 marking

RIGHT
WRONG
Approved helmet carries the DOT letters on rear of helmet.
No DOT letters on rear of helmet. Suitable for bicycle but not ATV.

PPE (cont.)
 Gloves
– reduce vibration, padded over knuckles good.
 Over-the-ankle boots with low heel
– Prevent slipping off foot-rests, if laced, tie short
 Long-sleeve shirt or jacket
 Long pants
– Both sleeves and pants provide protection from scratches and pokes, close-fitting not loose

Summary
 Youth have 34% of all ATV related emergency room visits.

Nearly ¾ of all fatal injuries to those under
19 are to the head and neck.
 Survey responses indicate only 36% of all
ATV riders routinely wear an ATV helmet.

Summary (cont.)
 Contributing factors to incidents involving youth include:
– lack of size and strength
– inability to recognize hazards
– short attention spans.

Summary (cont.)
 Contributing factors to incidents involving adolescents include:
– riding ATV too large for their capabilities
– ride too fast and lacking experience
– being susceptible to peer pressure
– attention distracted by other thoughts not related to current activity.

Summary (cont.)
 Most fatalities occur
– on non-farm locations
– to the operator, between 9-14 yrs of age
– to males
– during the day.
 More fatalities occur:
– during the months of June and August than other months.

Summary (cont.)
 Most injuries occur:
– on non-farm locations
– to the operator, between 15-19 yrs of age
– to males
– during the day.
 More injuries occur:
– during the months of June and August than other months.

Summary (cont.)
 Characteristics that contribute to the occurrence of injury and fatality incidents include:
– not participating in a training program
– lack of overall maturity in decision making
– lack of physical size and strength
– carrying extra riders
– not wearing proper PPE, especially a DOT approved helmet.


Learn more about ATV Injuries/Fatalities…
– What months are more people injured/killed?
– Are males or females injured/killed more?
– What age suffers more injuries/fatalities?
– Are more injured/killed during the day?
– What counties have the most injuries/fatalities?
– Where do most ATV incidents occur?
Let’s Go
Skip the Trip

 ATV Safety Institute http://www.atvsafety.org

National Children’s Center for Rural and
Agricultural Health and Safety http://research.marshfieldclinic.org/children
 4-H Community ATV Safety Program


Stedman’s Medical Dictionary (26 th Ed),
Williams & Watkins
 Safety and Health for Production
Agriculture, Dennis Murphy, ASAE
 Occupational Health, Barry Levy & David
Wegman, Lippencott Williams & Wilkins
 UI Extension Ag. Safety and Health website http://www.age.uiuc.edu/agsafety/factshts.html

Robert (Chip) Petrea, PhD
Extension Specialist – Ag. Safety and Health
Dept. of Ag. and Bio Engineering, UIUC
304e Ag. Engineering Sciences
1304 West Pennsylvania
Urbana, IL 61801
217.333.5035
217.244.0323 FAX repetrea@uiuc.edu
http://www.age.uiuc.edu/acadprof/rcp/rcp.asp

Click Here to Return to
Presentation

1. The extra-rider should not have been there.
2. They should have both been wearing approved helmets.
3. The driver should have not attempted to climb the slope due to the extra weight of the rider.
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1. A 400cc ATV is most likely too big for the 13 year old.
2. He was paying attention to deer tracks and not looking where he was going.
3. He should have been wearing long pants and leather boots.
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Accidents are usually perceived that nothing could have been done to prevent them from occurring. This might be true in some extreme examples. However, trying to prevent injuries and fatalities requires looking at root causes and trying to eliminate them or reduce their frequency.
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1990-2003

All data compiled is from press clippings provided by the Illinois Press Association.
Based on research in other states, the use of press clippings is estimated to provide between 60-80% of the actual number of incidents that occurred in Illinois in the years covered
.
Total Fatalities/Injuries – 409
Total Injuries – 282
Total Fatalities - 127

1990-2003
13%
8%
6% 6%
20%
12%
22%
13%
Fatality Total=127
Age 2-8
Age 9-14
Age 15-19
Age 20-25
Age 26-30
Age 31-40
Age 41-50
Age 51-75

12%
6%
1%
2%
1990-2003
7%
3%
22%
8%
11%
28%
Injury/Fatality Total=409
Unknown
Age 2-8
Age 9-14
Age 15-19
Age 20-25
Age 26-30
Age 31-40
Age 41-50
Age 51-60
Age 60-75

•
Ogle (19)
•
White (14)
•
Clay (13)
• Will (12)
•
Kane (11)
•
Franklin (11)
•
Perry (11)
•
Pike (10)
• Jo Daviess (10)
•
Montgomery (8)
• Adams (8)
•
Clinton (8)
•
Kankakee (8)
• LaSalle (7)
•
Effingham (7)
• Iroquois (7)
•
Stephenson (6)
•
Jackson (6)
•
Livingston (6)
• Edgar (6)
•
Jasper (6)
•
Saline (6)
•
Cook (5)
•
Grundy (5)
• Henry (5)
•
Kendall (5)
• Union (5)
•
Fayette (5)
•
Lawrence (4)
• Saint Clair (4)
•
Wabash (4)
• Wayne (4)
•
Marion (4)
•
Edwards (4)
•
Lake (4)
• Warren (4)
•
Clark (4)
•
Peoria (4)
•
Whiteside (4)
•
Hancock (2)
• Crawford (2)
•
Cumberland (2)
• Macoupin (2)
•
Tazewell (2)
•
Winnebago (2)
• Sangamon (2)
•
Hancock (2)
1990-2003

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kane
Will
Cook
Franklin
Kendall
Pike
Kankakee
Effingham
Ogle
Union
Cumberland
3
3
4
4
4
4
9
5
3
3
3
1990-2003
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Adams
Iroquois
JoDaviess
Kane
Livingston
Montgomery
Randolph
Carroll
White
Clark
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

1990-2003
2%
16%
Male
Female
Unknown
82%
Injury/Fatality Total=409

Female 14
Male 113
0 20 40 60
2003
80 100 120

450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Non-Farm Farm Unknown
Injury/Fatality Total=409

1%
31%
68%
Fatalities
Injuries
Unknown
1990-2003
Injury/Fatality Total=409

Farm
2%
Unknown
2%
Non-Farm
96%
Fatality Total=127

350
300
250
322
200
150
100 65
50
4
16
2
0
Bystander Unknown Passenger Operator Other
Vehicle

108
60
40
20
0
120
100
80
5
Unknown
14
Passenger Operator

250
200
150
100
50
0
171
223
15
Night
Day
Unknown

63
62
2
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Night
Day

Night
42%
Unknown
4%
Day
54%
Injury/Fatality Total=409

Day
49%
Unknown
2%
Night
49%
Night
Day
Unknown
Fatality Total=127

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
50
45
40
35

40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

15
10
5
0
25
20

30
20
10
0
60
50
40

20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
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