Kids' ATV Death Rate Up, Study Says

The death rate of kids using all-terrain vehicles in the United States increased significantly during a recent five-year span, according to one report, adding fuel to efforts by a parents' group to restrict and ultimately ban the use of the machines by anyone under 16.

The industry insists voluntary safety standards already in place are working.

Concerned Families for ATV Safety says the report, being released Tuesday by West Virginia University's Injury Control Research Center, shows a 24 percent jump, to an average of 171 a year, in deaths of kids using ATVs from 2000-2004, about the same time during which the industry has been policing itself with its guidelines.

The group says the new findings "for the first time, directly refute that claim. This data clearly shows that the dangers of ATVs are increasing" at an alarming rate.

Carol Ellert Keezer, a co-founder of the group, lost her 12-year-old son, Alex, in an ATV accident.

She told The Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen she'd never heard of anyone being killed using an ATV, and thought Alex's death was a freak occurrence.

But soon, Keezer found other mothers who had lost children in such mishaps, and they formed Concerned Families for ATV Safety.

For starters, the group is pushing for a federal ban on the sale of adult-size ATVs for use by anyone under 16. In the long run, the group wants a complete ban on ATV use by kids in that age range.

"Warning labels, manuals, and safety courses are not preventing our children from dying," says Keezer, referring to a voluntary safety campaign the industry has in place.

But the industry says the proper use of ATVs is key, and ATV dealers face disciplinary actions from manufacturers if dealers are found selling adult-sized ATVs for use by kids.

The industry says it favors state — not federal — legislation regarding ATV safety.

Among other things, industry spokespeople say mandatory training on ATV use for kids under 16 would help, as would the mandatory use of helmets and protective gear, and mandatory supervision by adults.

The industry asserts it's the way people ride four-wheelers, not a lack of regulation, that leads to accidents, injuries and deaths, and says parents need to make smart decisions about whether or not their kids are physically and mentally ready to handle an ATV.

Keezer says she doesn't think the ATV industry is doing enough to inform parents about the dangers.

And on The Early Show Tuesday, Carolyn Anderson, another co-founder of Concerned families for ATV Safety, told co-anchor Harry Smith the problem centers around "children driving large, powerful machines that are inappropriate for children under the age of 16. They're too dangerous.

"The American Academy of Pediatrics and many other child safety advocates say (ATVs are) too dangerous for children. This study bears that fact out. They're killing and injuring just so many children, they're not safe.

"Children under the age of 16 don't have the judgment skills or common sense required to operate a motor vehicle like that safely. They just don't have the ability to do that."

As for industry claims that mandatory training on ATV use and mandatory adult supervision could minimize risks, Anderson asks rhetorically, "Would you say that your child can operate your Corvette as long as he's had two hours of training? I don't think so."