Albertans reminded about summer ATV safety

CALGARY – Ahead of the Canada Day long weekend and National Injury Prevention Day on July 5, Alberta Health Services (AHS) is reminding all Albertans to make all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety a priority this summer.

ATVs pose a significant risk to all users and particularly children younger than 16 years of age who have not yet developed the strength, skills or judgment needed to operate an ATV.

Between April and June 21, 2018, 20 children were seen in Alberta's two pediatric Emergency Departments (combined), due to ATV-related injuries, and eight of these 20 children were injured so severely as to require admission to hospital.

Parents and caregivers are advised that children younger than 16 years old do not drive or ride in an ATV, including those marketed as ‘child-sized.’ Albertans 16 years and older are urged to take the following precautions to ensure their ATV excursions are as safe as possible:

• Get trained: Before you hit the trails, get formal hands-on training from a recognized/trained ATV instructor. Don’t be shy about refreshing your training seasonally.
• Wear the gear: Always wear a helmet. As of May 15, 2017, CSA-compliant helmets must be worn by off highway vehicle users when riding on public land, but a helmet worn every ride can save your life. From 2002 to 2013, 41 per cent of ATV-rider deaths in Alberta were due to head injuries. In 77 per cent of these head injury deaths, the ATV riders were not wearing a helmet. In addition to a helmet, always wear a jacket, long pants, goggles, boots and gloves.
• Look first: Be sure you’re aware of the weather forecast, fire outlook/potential, and any hazards (geographical, animal or human) or risks that the trail(s) could pose. Ensure your ATV is equipped with an appropriate headlight. Before you head out on the trail, let others know where you’re going and when you expect to be back. This helps your loved ones know when to call for help if you’ve been gone too long. Take a cell phone or working radio with you, as well as a first-aid kit.
• Drive sober: Don’t drink or do drugs before or while operating an ATV: 55 per cent of those who died in ATV crashes between 2002 and 2013 tested positive for alcohol.

Visit ahs.ca/injuryprevention for more information on ATV safety and injury prevention.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

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