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NEWS STORIES Below are recent news stories about ATV safety. If you have seen any news stories or developments you think we should post, please email us at mail@safetynet.org. [08.23.10] A Louisiana woman and a teenage boy from Washington state are dead following two separate Yamaha Rhino ATV accidents that occurred over the weekend in two different states. Years after safety problems with the Yamaha Rhino side-by-side off-road vehicle were identified, riders and passengers continue to die and suffer serious injuries in rollover accidents with the ATV. [07.31.10] BOSTON - Saturday, July 31, 2010- Governor Deval Patrick today signed into law a bill aimed at increasing the safety of off-highway vehicle (OHV) riding and heightening the protection of natural resources on public and private lands used by OHVs by raising the minimum age requirement for OHV riding and increasing penalties for illegal riding.
[07.21.10] Oklahoma is a recreational enthusiast's paradise, with offerings ranging from lakes and rivers to woodlands, mountains and trails. Among outdoor activities growing in popularity is the use of all-terrain vehicles in unpopulated areas. The vehicles look like a lot of fun to ride, but sadly, for hundreds of Oklahoma families, they will mean tragedy. [06.14.10] It's peak season for many outdoor sports, including all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riding. As millions of riders hit the trails, there are renewed warnings about the safety of ATVs. "Early Show" Consumer Correspondent Susan Koeppen cited the Consumer Product Safety Commission, saying in the month of April alone there were 40 deaths on ATVs, 12 of them were children under 16. In May, 13 children were killed. [06.10.10] In a bipartisan bid to save kids’ from battered brains and busted bones, the House voted yesterday to hike the state’s minimum age for operating an all-terrain vehicle from 10 to 14. Following the trail blazed by the Senate in January, state Rep. Peter J. Koutoujian (D-Waltham) said “Sean’s Bill” - named in honor of 8-year-old Sean Kearney of Plymouth, who was crushed to death by an ATV in 2006 while on a playdate - passed 141-12. [05.28.10] WASHINGTON, May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) riders to take precautions to stay safe this holiday weekend and riding season. For the 4-day period surrounding the 2009 Memorial Day holiday, CPSC is aware of 27 fatalities, with two under the age of 16, averaging almost seven deaths a day. [05.27.10] Toronto, Ontario – All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are powerful machines that are beyond the skill level of children and youth, according to brain and spinal cord injury prevention association ThinkFirst Canada, which is warning parents not to teach their children to ride them. [05.25.10] In late January, the Massachusetts Senate passed a bill that would have improved safety regulations for operators of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). But the House has yet to act on it. Considering the growing popularity of dirt bikes on Cape Cod and the Islands, our legislative delegation needs to convince the leadership to push this legislation to the floor for a vote. [04.14.10] The mother of a 12-year-old boy killed while riding an all terrain vehicle nearly three years ago is now calling for an all-out ban on the machine for young children. The woman's message comes as a fatality inquiry into her son's death emerges. Kirkland Gour died in 2007 after his ATV flipped near the family's home in Nampa, Alta. [04.08.10] Makers of all-terrain vehicles promised to monitor dealers to prevent the sale of powerful adult model ATVs to kids under 16. But an undercover investigation by the Government Accounting Office suggests self-policing isn’t working. [03.23.10] Larry Foreman is “a libertarian at heart,” but not when it comes to kids. A veteran emergency room physician — he works at the closest ER to the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area in San Luis Obispo County, California — he’s seen an endless queue of injured riders of all-terrain vehicles, including children as young as 4. Eventually, Foreman had enough and began speaking out about kids and ATVs. [03.11.10] Two new studies report a high rate of severe injuries -- including amputations, spinal injuries and even death -- among children who ride all-terrain vehicles. "A spine injury is such a devastating injury for a young person," said Dr. Jeffrey R. Sawyer, an assistant professor of orthopaedics with the Campbell Clinic at the University of Tennessee, and a co-author on both papers. [03.09.10] Q: My 12-year-old son has been begging for one of those four-wheel ATVs (all terrain vehicles). I am very worried; how safe are these? A: The statistics for the estimated 2 million or so children under 16 years old who ride ATVs are concerning. Over 100,000 kids are injured every year while riding an ATV, with 40,000 requiring a visit to the emergency room due to the severity of their injuries. [03.08.10] Every time Dr. Shannon Smith hears of a child being injured or killed in an ATV accident she’s more convinced that Mississippi needs a tougher ATV safety law. That’s one of the reason’s Smith, a pediatric rehab physician at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, has written letters and called members of the Mississippi Legislature to encourage tougher ATV safety laws. 02.01.10] Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) announced recently that the Senate has passed legislation improving safety regulations for operators of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in Massachusetts. The bill requires ATVs, off-road motorcycles and snowmobiles to be registered and all operators to wear helmets. It also establishes a minimum age of use for ATVs. [01.28.10] Data released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) show child deaths and serious injuries caused by all-terrain vehicles appear to have decreased in 2008. However, at least 74 children lost their lives and more than 37,000 were injured seriously enough to require treatment in a hospital emergency department. [12.18.09] State Rep. Dannie Reed, R-Ackerman, plans to introduce legislation to require safe practices and encourage safety education for all-terrain vehicle use. Reed issued a statement Thursday warning that ATV use is killing and injuring drivers and passengers more than hazards than normally dealt with in the state. [11.23.09] For parents wanting to provide their children some good, clean off-roading fun, the Fushin, a smaller-than-normal all-terrain vehicle, seemed just the thing. Except the Chinese import with jaunty yellow
paint and a low $250 price tag was missing one feature: front brakes. [10.24.09] On a warm Alberta summer's night in 2004, Ted Bosse received the news that would change his and his wife Teresa's lives forever. The all terrain vehicle their son Chris had been riding flipped, leaving him lying critically injured on the road. By the time that Ted Bosse got to his son, it
was clear that Chris wasn't going to survive. His father held him
but he was already gone. Chris was sober and an experienced ATV
driver. The road he was driving on was flat. [8.21.09] Last Friday night outside Williamsport, two 18-year-olds driving two all-terrain vehicles crashed head-on in a field. The boys, 2009 graduates of Jersey Shore High School, died of their injuries. A 14-year-old passenger was critically injured. Not one was wearing a helmet. [8.10.09] A 3-year-old girl died Saturday evening when the ATV her 8-year-old brother was driving crashed and rolled over on her, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The boy suffered facial injuries, authorities said; the children's 10-year-old sister who also was on the vehicle escaped harm. [8.4.09] It's like a muscle-car for the backcountry - the hottest trend in off-road vehicles. But a four-month CBS News investigation has found evidence that the popular Yamaha Rhino doesn't need to be busting over tough terrain to be dangerous. Keep kids safe when riding ATVs by following important safety rules It happened to an 11 year-old boy riding with his uncle. It happened to a 12 year-old boy wearing a helmet. It happened to a two year-old boy riding with his dad. It happened to a 16 year-old boy riding with a 13 year-old girl. And it happened to a six year-old girl riding with her stepsister. And they aren't the only ones. Trendy Off - Road Vehicle Poses Deadly Risk It's like a muscle-car for the backcountry - the hottest trend in off-road vehicles. But a four-month CBS News investigation has found evidence that the popular Yamaha Rhino doesn't need to be busting over tough terrain to be dangerous. Children should not ride, drive ATVs Many families associate fun in the sun with riding three and four-wheel vehicles. All Terrain Vehicles Are 'Not a Toy' Says Michigan Accident Attorney Terry Cochran Misguided parents, wanting their children to have a good time, will buy an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) for family recreation only to have a loved one end up in the emergency room - possibly injured for life or worse. It's time to reduce the West's ATV carnage At least 24 people have been killed in all-terrain-vehicle accidents in the West since mid-March, the onset of warm riding weather. A 9-year-old girl in Arizona was among them. So were a 10-year-old boy in California, an off-duty sheriff's deputy in Utah, and 16-year-old girls in Wyoming and Arizona. All-Terrain Vehicles Potentially Lethal All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are potentially lethal and have the capacity to inflict serious harm, a study of injuries to children has confirmed. Physicians warn that ATVs, kids can be a dangerous combination Ft. Myers Florida Weekly All-terrain vehicles and kids can be a dangerous mix, especially for those who tend to treat the ATVs like toys instead of high-powered vehicles. [4.24.09] Three years ago, Roger Queen was riding an all-terrain vehicle on a curvy mountain road in North Carolina when he lost control and fell over the ledge. He landed on his feet nearly 60 feet below the road, crushing his spinal cord and shattering his spine. Yamaha Motor Corp. Offers Free Repair For 450, 660, and 700 Model Rhino Vehicles U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A., of Cypress, Calif., is announcing a free repair program to address safety issues with all Rhino 450, 660, and 700 model off-highway recreational vehicles. Yamaha has also agreed to voluntarily suspend sale of these models immediately until repaired. Consumers should immediately stop using these popular recreational vehicles until the repair is installed by a dealer. CPSC staff has investigated more than 50 incidents involving these three Rhino models, including 46 driver and passenger deaths involving the Rhino 450 and 660 models. More than two-thirds of the cases involved rollovers and many involved unbelted occupants. Of the rollover-related deaths and hundreds of reported injuries, some of which were serious, many appear to involve turns at relatively low speeds and on level terrain. About 120,000 of the 450 and 660 model Rhinos have been distributed nationwide since Fall 2003. Some units have been equipped by Yamaha with half doors and additional passenger handholds, either before or after sale. [ read more ] [3.19.09] When Katie Tuminello was flung from a four-wheeler this summer, the crash caused so many injuries that she was flown by helicopter to a Baton Rouge hospital. [2.27.09] The safety defects of some Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs), also called "Side-by-Side" vehicles, are causing a mounting toll of death and severe injury to users, warns a report issued today by a group of safety advocates and victims. The report calls for basic changes in the design of these rollover-prone off-road vehicles to substantially increase their ability to protect occupants in the event of rollover accidents. The report, entitled "Citizen Report on UTV Vehicle Hazards," has been submitted by victims of UTV rollovers, including the parents of children killed or injured in such accidents, as well as adult victims, the Trauma Foundation, and the Center for Auto Safety. News Reports Find Poor Design of Rhino Terrain Vehicles Linked to Serious Injuries and Deaths PPR Web South Florida law firm Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA (Searcy Denney) steps up its investigation into serious injuries and deaths tied to design defects in Yamaha Rhino® all terrain vehicles. The Rhino®, classified as a "utility terrain vehicle," is not subject to the same safety standards as other ATVs. [1.17.09] In December, a West Virginia mother pleaded not guilty to child neglect charges stemming from an all-terrain vehicle wreck in which her 2-year-old son was hurt. She ran off the road into a ditch, and the ATV flipped several times, according to police reports. [2.28.09] After losing part of his leg in an ATV accident last year, a Brevard County teen is playing baseball once again. Dakota "Kody" Best, 13, took the mound Friday for his JV team at Florida Air Academy. [ read more ][2.27.09] It was an accident that nearly took the life of 8-year-old Cassidy Smith of Sanilac County. But the staff at Hurley Medical Center in Flint was able to save her life. [ read more ]CURRENT NEWS | 2008 ARCHIVE | 2007 ARCHIVE | 2005 ARCHIVE
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