The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) aims to inform consumers about the dangers of products that could cause injury. An Austin lawyer know that one goal of the CPSC is to help make data on dangerous products more available to consumers in easy-to-understand ways so they can make smart choices and reduce the chances of becoming hurt.
Recently, the CPSC has released a series of infographics designed to illustrate how dangerous All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) can be to those using them. Making clear right from the start what the infographics were designed to illustrate, the CPSC called the graphics “Big Real Tough Deadly ATV Statistics.”
The Big Real Tough Deadly ATV Statistics
The data provided by the CPSC should be enough to convince everyone of how important it is to be safe when riding on all-terrain vehicle. As reported by the CPSC and illustrated in the graphics:
- A total of 590 people lost their lives in 2010 as a result of accidents in ATVs.
- Most of those killed on ATVs were aged 16 and older. Adults accounted for 508 of the ATV deaths while children under age 16 accounted for only 82 of the deaths.
- Texas was one of the states where ATV accidents were most common over the past 26 years. In addition to Texas, other states with a high rate of ATV-related fatalities included California, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee, among others.
- July is the most dangerous month for ATV riders, with 102 deaths in the month of July from 2005 to 2007.
- August is the second deadliest month for ATV crashes, with a total of 100 deaths in this month from 2005 to 2007.
- More than 100,000 people sustained injuries on ATVs in 2011. Around 30 percent of victims injured in an ATV accident were kids aged 16 and under.
- The arms and hands were the most common site of ATV injuries, with a total of 29 percent of injuries affecting these body parts. Many riders also sustained injuries to the feet, legs, torso, neck and head.
- Most ATV-related deaths (33 percent) occurred when the rider was on a paved road or surface. Only nine percent of the deaths happened in the woods, while an additional 20 percent of fatalities occurred on unpaved roads.
As these statistics reveal, hundreds of people lose their lives each year and thousands of people are seriously injured when they are on recreational vehicles. Many of those who lose their lives are kids who are not even old enough to drive. Parents need to be aware of the risk of letting their kids on ATVs while adults who decide to ride should know of the high chances of an accident and should take every possible precaution to try to stay safe. The CPSC suggests staying off of paved roads, wearing a helmet, allowing only adults to ride, and securing training before riding in order to reduce the chance of a fatal wreck happening on an ATV.
If you or a loved one was hurt in an Austin accident, contact Bertolino LLP today at 512-717-5432 for a case evaluation.
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