ATV Riders 50 Percent More Likely to Die Following an ATV Accident

Washington, DCAccidents on all terrain vehicles (ATVs), and the likelihood of dying after an ATV accident are more common than motorcycle accidents, trauma surgeons attending the annual meeting of the American College of Surgeons reported this week.

In a study presented during the conference, reseachers cited some alarming numbers, including those from the national trauma bank which show 60,000 accidents reported between 2002 and 2006. Of those, 44,509 were ATV related while 13,749 were from off-road motorcycle riding.

Notably, even when the severity of injuries are the same between ATV and motorcycle patients, ATV patients were 50 percent more likely to die, and 50 percent more likely to need treatment in an intensive care unit with mechanical ventilation, the researchers reported.

According to data on the government website ATVSafe.gov between 800 and 900 people die every year from ATV accidents. And helmet-wearing ATV riders appear to have no advantage over helmeted motorcycle riders – in fact ATV riders fared far worse.

In a report on msnbc.com the lead researcher of the study, Dr. Adil Haider, a surgeon from the Johns Hopkins Center for Surgery Trials and Outcomes Research in Baltimore, Maryland, said they don't yet know why ATV riders are more at risk than the motorcyclists.

"We think there are much more energy transfers when an ATV turns over, but we can't tell whether that is because of the stability of the vehicle or the weight of the vehicle as it rolls over on a rider," he said in a statement prepared before the presentation.

He noted that the study results provide a warning for parents, lawmakers, teachers and ATV dealers and manufacturers.