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Iowa researchers examine adolescents’ ATV safety behaviors

Published on August 20, 2014

A portrait of Kari Harland of the University of Iowa College of Public Health.
Kari Harland

Researchers at the University of Iowa recently published the results of research examining all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use, crash prevalence, and riding behaviors among adolescent students in a rural state. The study was published in the Annals of Family Medicine.

Regardless of rurality, at least 75% of students reported having been on an ATV, with 38% of those riding daily or weekly. Among ATV riders, 57% had been in a crash. Most riders engaged in risky behaviors, including riding with passengers (92%), on public roads (81%), or without a helmet (64%). Almost 60% reported engaging in all 3 behaviors; only 2% engaged in none.

“We believe this data illustrates the critical need for promoting safer behaviors among youth,” says Karisa Harland, a study co-author and researcher with the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center. “Robust ATV injury prevention efforts are more widely needed, including training and well-enforced legislation, while primary care clinicians could play an important role in decreasing pediatric ATV-related injuries and deaths through routine anticipatory guidance.”

Support for this study was provided by a grant to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital from Kohl’s Cares, a program of Kohl’s that supports kids’ health and education initiatives nationwide