All terrain vehicles are popular in rural parts of South Carolina. But many of those who ride on them have little idea of how dangerous they can be.
Now a new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has revealed the scale of injuries and fatalities from ATV accidents over two decades.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission highlighted 12,391 ATV-related fatalities from 1982 through 2012. And that grim toll is expected to rise, given that the totals for 2009-2012 still remain preliminary and further accidents are being reviewed and analyzed.
The report said of the deaths so far reported in the study 2,944, or 24 percent, were to children below the age of 16. The CPSC estimated that in 2012 alone, there were 107,900 ATV-related injuries that led to emergency room treatment. The figures were released at the same time as a campaign is underway in states, counties and towns across the United States to open up more roads to ATVs. The FairWarning website reported the effort has progressed even though ATVs can reach highway speeds but are not held to the vigorous U.S. safety standards for cars and trucks.
There were 124 deaths from ATV riders in South Carolina from 1982 to 2008, according to the report and a further 34 from 2009 to 2012.
A review of the reported ATV-related fatalities indicates that 2,944 people who died (24 percent of the 12,391 total) between 1982 and 2012 were younger than 16 years of age, and 1,267 (10 percent) were younger than 12 years of age.
Recently a 13-year-old girl from South Carolina died after an ATV accident. Gracie Abbott, 13, from Maddox Middle School in Jasper died Easter Sunday after she was injured in an ATV accident.
WISTV10 reported she was riding the ATV with her cousins when it flipped and threw her off. If you are considering riding an ATV you should consider first taking a safety course. See these tips about ATV safety.
On occasions passengers on ATVs have also died and lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers. If you have been injured in an accident, call the South Carolina personal injury lawyers at the Masella Law Firm at 803.748.9990.