All-terrain vehicle accidents at a level II trauma center in Indiana: an 8-year retrospective review.

This study profiles the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident victims who were admitted at a level II trauma center. We retrospectively reviewed the trauma registry data for 111 patients who were admitted to the Parkview Hospital Level II Trauma Center following ATV crashes between January 1996 and June 2003. Forty-four percent of the patients were < or =16 years of age, and the average age overall was 22.49 years. Most of the 111 victims were men, and only 18.9% of those injured were wearing helmets. Although they only make up 14% of the driver population, children <16 years of age account for almost 40% of all ATV-related injuries and >35% of all ATV-related deaths in the United States. Helmets can reduce the risk of head injury, but only 21 states have helmet laws. Safety legislation should be adopted and would likely save lives and prevent injuries.