All Terrain Trauma

[John]

Over the past decade, All-terrain vehicles have become very poplar for adventure tourism, trail riding and camping. In the category of sports and recreation, they are now the third most common cause of server injuries next to cycling and snowmobiling. ATV injuries among children found that hospitalizations increased by close to 80 percent between 1997 and 2000.

Listen to the show and tell us what you think:

http://www.emslive.com/audio/030505.mp3

Does your service deal with a lot of ATV issues?

I know that we see a lot of drinking and driving and kids hurt on them.

They're hard to reach and a real stress on the system. Since most times they need to be carried out or the woods, it take a lot of staff and a long time.

What is your experience? Has education worked in your area or regulations?

[Pam]

Does your service deal with a lot of ATV issues?

What is your experience? Has education worked in your area or regulations?

We have had 4 ATV deaths in a 30 mile radius of where I live in the last 6 months:

One was a 17 yr. old just riding through the fields, hit a ditch and flipped.

Two and three were drunks driving backroads from bar to bar and wrecking around gravel corners.

The fourth was a 14 yr. old former neighbor of mine. He was hauling wood on a trailer behind his 4 wheeler, going downhill and lost control.

All 4 of these were DOA.

We have classes here (in SW Wisconsin) for ATV safety. I know that most of the dealerships here that sell them give coupons for and encourage people to take these classes. Most of the dealerships also sponsor safety awareness for ATV's.

Do the classes help? Maybe. Maybe there would be even more accidents without them. I don't know. I know that I have fits when my boys come home from a friends and tell me they were on them trucking around the hills.

People have been dying on these things as far back as I can remember. People also take driver's ed and do some of the stupidest things known to mankind afterward. Who's to say.

Pam

[Ridryder 911]

I too have seen very tragic events from these vehicles. I don't think people (especially parents) are aware how unsafe & dangerous they are. Just last week in 1 day we had 4 separate incidences, ranging from fxr clavicle to neck & head contusion to an impaled foot peg.

I have flown may c-spine fxr's & CHI from people not aware of the speed & instability these cycles produce.

It was the 3 wheelers for years that killed several people before they were banned, I just hope we don't have to wait that long before some form of action to occur for these cycles.

Be safe,

Ridryder 911

[ladyfirefighter36]

We also have several ATV accidents a year. Not as many as we did a couple of years ago, because a major 4 wheeling park shut down. Thank goodness. We would haul 20 people out on a holiday weekend. Quite a few still go to the area, but not as many accidents. Of course, always lots of alcohol around. Flew an older gentleman out a couple of years ago, with a serious shoulder injury. 6 a.m. and he already had a case in him. Glad it has slowed down. Got so bad, we got grant money and purchased a Polaris 6x6 and set it up as a rescue unit. Have used it. It is the greatest thing. No more carrying patients 4 miles to the squad. Used to have to go thru butt deep creeks to get to the patient and back out. This thing goes everywhere now.

[Guest]

It was the 3 wheelers for years that killed several people before they were banned, I just hope we don't have to wait that long before some form of action to occur for these cycles.

It's not the 4 wheelers, it's the operators. IF you don't know how to ride don't go out and buy the fastest most powerful quad out on the market.

We do not need more laws telling us how to live, we have plenty already thank you.

There is a new job opportunity for us. Lets go educate people on the reality of what happens when you don't know what your doing. Im sure there are plenty of pics out here on the net from Rotten and Bangedup.com, to put together a good visual impact on powerpoint.

[bandaidpatrol]

We keep track of how many ATV crashes we have in our coverage. Not one single local citizen has ever activated EMS in this area for an ATV accident... HOWEVER.. Every single injury or death due to proper or improper use of an ATV in the are has been at the hands of a "Flatlander". City folks migrate north from Philly, Maryland & Jersey to hunt and vacation in North East, Central and Western Pennsylvania. These folks seem to over come the most impossible measures in order to injure themselves or a hunting buddy; or get themselves killed.

In the past ten years we've had 6 Deaths due to 3-Wheeled ATV's, 2 Deaths due to 2-Wheeled ATV's, and 17 Deaths due to 4-Wheeled ATV's.

Youngest victim was 6, oldest victim was 42.

2-Wheeled ATV's lead to 12 Injuries

3-Wheeled ATV's lead to 3 Injuries

4-Wheeled ATV's lead to 51 Injuries

6-Wheeled ATV's lead to 3 Injuries (A 6-Wheeled Gator flipped w/ 3 people on it)

Most of the patient were between the ages of 12 and 25.

Less than half were using safety devices such as helmets.

[STC MN Medic]

i know this is an old post, but i fianlly read it and started to laugh.

one of my coworkers flipped his ATV abotu a year ago and when his buddies fianlly found him, despite the enormous amoutn fo pain he was in, he refused to let his buddies call an ambulance becasue he didnt wasnt to be taken to the hospital by his coworkers because he would never hear the end of it. so they took him to the ER adn did the hoemboy drop at teh ER doors, which the doctor complained about. after examining him, the doc ordered one of our crew to transfer him down to the trauma center, so now he dosent hear the end of it.

maybe yall dont find that as funny as i do.

[rinconjoe]

First as a Paramedic and flight medic I must say there are some very bad ATV accidents but most are result of poor or Lack of training and the loss of common since.

One we need to push for more laws like helmets, gloves, eye protection and proper training.

One such training is the ATV safety Institute.

http://www.atvsafety.org/

I love to ride my ATV.

Yes they can be dangerous, but there is some common since rules hear like a 10 year old on a 600 cc ATV [wrong].

Parents are being held less accountable for there actions. I wouldn't’t put my kid on a machine design for an experience rider. So with all this said my suggestion if you are in the medical or emergency services try to educate people around you one with ATV clubs, ATV safety.

I am a member of such a great ATV club.

http://www.triadtrailblazers.com/

They promote safe and kind and common since riding.

[medik8]

At one of the services I work for...we have LOTS of ATV accidents, so, unfortunately, my experience with these is very disturbing. One in particular about a year ago...I don't even want to talk about. In fact...I'm dreading summer because of the volume of these types of trauma calls (even though I love them...it's sad...)

I believe that education would help, however, get people drinking, barbeque-ing, and the testosterone overrules any good common sense that may be upstairs. Education, in these situations, is not going to help. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I know in my neck of woods, I sure do keep the helicopters and trauma centers busy in the summer. :roll:

xoxo

8

[ERDoc]

Here in NY it is legal for 10 year olds to drive snowmobiles (some of which can go 100mph off the shelf) without a parent or guardian. I don't get why this is okay, but they can't drive a car until they are 16.