By CTVNews.ca
Staff
Kids under 16 years old should not be allowed to drive ATVs
of any size, say Canadian pediatricians in a new statement released in late
August.
The Canadian Paediatric Society says ATVs, or all-terrain
vehicles, are simply not safe for children and is calling on provinces and
territories to prohibit those under 16 from operating them.
The doctors' group also wants to make helmet use on the
vehicles compulsory, as well as training courses. And they'd like to see laws
that restrict ATV drivers from carrying passengers.
"ATVs pose a high risk of injury to children and
youth," Dr. Natalie Yanchar, a pediatric surgeon at the IWK Health Centre
in Halifax and chair of the CPS Injury Prevention Committee, said in a news
release.
"Kids don't have the knowledge or strength to operate
these vehicles safely. Their lack of sound judgment when encountering a potentially
dangerous situation and tendency toward risk-taking only adds to the
danger."
The CPS says that nearly 25 per cent of ATV-related deaths
in Canada
are among children under 15 years old, as are more than a third of serious
injuries from ATV crashes.
ATVs are three- and four-wheeled vehicles with large wheels
that are often used recreationally in off-road trails. They come in a range of
sizes and can weigh up to 600 lbs.
Currently, the legislation on off-road ATV use varies across
Canada.
In Newfoundland
for example, children under 16 cannot operate a full-size ATV, but they can use
a youth-sized ATV. British Columbia,
on the other hand, has no legislation on recreational ATV use.
The CPS says that about 447 Canadian children under 15 years
are hospitalized every year for ATV-related injuries. Among youth aged 16 to
19, there are about 506 admissions a year.
"Provincial and territorial governments need to play a
bigger role in regulating and legislating ATVs," says Dr. Yanchar.
"ATV injuries and fatalities are far too common. Unsafe
behaviours, like taking passengers and driving without a helmet, need to be
stopped."
In regions where ATVs are commonly used for transportation,
such as remote and isolated communities, the CPS wants to see local education
programs that convey the potential danger of ATV use among children and youth.
Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/pediatricians-call-for-under-16-atv-ban-1.934715#ixzz253f7iviW
