Commission Shares Safety Guidelines For ATV Riders

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- Just days after two teenagers were injured in an accident involving an all-terrain vehicle, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is sharing various tips on how to keep children safe.

There are more than 700 deaths and 100,000 injuries each year, according to CPSC’s most recent data. In Georgia alone, 385 ATV-related fatalities were reported from 1982 through 2011.

The most recent accident reported in Bartow County took place Saturday, Jan. 7 when the two teens, one male and one female, were injured when the ATV rolled over and crashed at a location on Lindsey Drive in Cartersville.

In June 2016, a teenage male was also injured when an ATV he was operating left the roadway and struck a tree near Euharlee.

By following the key safety tips below, hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries related to ATVs could be prevented, the Consumer Product Safety Commission notes. It urges the riding community to follow these four safety tips to keep children safe:

• Never let children younger than 16 ride ATVs that are meant for adults.
• Make sure children younger than 16 operate only youth model ATVs appropriate for their age.
• Never let children younger than six on an ATV.
• Make sure children wear a helmet and other protective gear that fits appropriately.

CPSC wants all ATV riders to know that hands-on training and following these known safety practices can help keep adults and children safe while using their vehicles:

• Do not drive ATVs on paved roads. ATVs are designed to be driven on off-road terrain, and are difficult to control on paved roads where they are at risk of overturning or colliding with cars and trucks.
• Do not drive ATVs with a passenger or ride as a passenger.
• Always wear a helmet and other protective gear such as eye protection, boots, gloves, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.

Additional ATV-related safety tips and resources can be found online www.ATVsafety.gov.

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