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ATV injuries show decline

A report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued in October shows a declining trend for ATV-related injuries and deaths and a decline in the proportion of total ATV-related injuries involving children under age 16.
The report lists several key statistics:

  • A 5% decline in the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) injury rate from 2001 to 2002;
  • A 31% decline in the all-terrain vehicle;
  • A 14% decline in the fatality rate for the period of 1999 to 2001;
  • A 15% decline since 1997 in the proportion of total ATV-related injuries that involve children under 16.
  • The CPSC report states that its latest findings are based on “new risk estimates (for injuries and deaths) that make use of improved estimates of the numbers of ATVs in use.” The CPSC prefaced its report with the observation that, “This year we made several changes to the report to bring it more in line with the current ATV market and to aid in its readability.”
    The report shows that the ATV industry’s self-policing role to promote safety is working, says Tim Buche, president of the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA).
    “The CPSC report speaks for itself,” Buche said in a prepared statement. “The decline in injury and fatality rates show that the industry’s focus on ATV safety programs is working, but that more cooperation is needed to help pass appropriate state ATV safety legislation to further reduce ATV-related injuries.” s
    In the United States, sales of new ATVs have increased steadily since 1991. Sales figures for 2002 were 5.6% over those of 2001. Even with this increasing popularity, the CPSC’s data shows that the number of injuries is growing at a lesser rate in proportion to the ATV population itself — in fact, the ATV injury rate actually declined 5% from 2001 to 2002, the same year the ATV industry saw over 5% growth in new unit sales, points out Buche.

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