Two ATV-related bills bad news for Utahns
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No comments [ Add Comment ]By Dr. Richard J. Ingebretsen
Guest commentary
T
he Utah Legislature is poised to pass two bills regarding the use of all-terrain vehicles which will have a profoundly detrimental impact on the health and safety of Utahns. Emergency-room physicians strongly oppose this action.
House Bill 237 would allow children as young as age 6 to operate ATVs on public property. House Bill 425 will allow ATVs to operate on all public roads in the state, including city streets (with the exception of those in Salt Lake County). Ironically, these bills are being discussed at a time when there is growing national recognition of the dangers associated with ATV use. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in its 2005 Annual Report of ATV Deaths and Injuries, ATV fatalities have increased by 142 percent since 1985, and ATV injuries have increased by 1,253 percent since 1982. The report also documents that 30 percent of people injured in ATV accidents are under age 16.
The increase in ATV fatalities and injuries is attributed to the dramatic rise in ATV use, which has grown by 700 percent over the last 30 years, as well as the lack of safety standards. In 2004, more than 136,000 Americans were killed or injured in ATV-related accidents. The average adult-sized ATV now weighs 550 pounds, and some can even travel at speeds of up to 75 mph. However, in Utah no license is required to operate an ATV, except in limited circumstances, and there is no requirement for a driving test.
Imagine the dangers associated with allowing a 6-year-old to drive an ATV.
And, imagine the traffic hazards created by ATVs on public roads. Not only are the ATV drivers at greater risk, but those of us driving cars will have to contend with maneuvering around vehicles that are not designed for travel on paved roads. The potential insurance consequences have not even been fully explored.
As the number of injuries and fatalities increase, the evidence supporting restrictions on ATV use mounts. For example, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons estimates that ATV-related injuries cost society $11.4 billion in medical, legal and work-loss expenses in 2003.
And researchers at the Center for Rural Emergency Medicine at West Virginia University, a state similar to Utah in ATV use, have concluded that in West Virginia, "The average annual comprehensive economic loss resulting from fatal ATV-related injuries is between $10 million and $34.2 million."
Instead of allowing children as young as 6 years old to ride ATVs on public lands, and instead of allowing ATVs to travel on public roads regardless of their location, we should be developing wise public policy solutions that allow for responsible use of ATVs. This would include preventing children under the age of 16 from riding ATVs (or in a worse-case scenario keeping the current age limit of 8 years) and limiting ATV use to public roads under the jurisdiction of local governments as determined appropriate by those local governments, which is the current law.
This approach will save lives, dollars and community resources, ensuring health and happiness for more Utahns. I urge the members of our Legislature to oppose HB 237 and HB 425.
Ingebretsen, an M.D. and Ph.D., is an emergency room physician. He also is a member of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance's board of directors.
