Scooters & 4 Wheelers

Those sporty scooters and 4-wheelers (ATV's) may be the hottest thing around these days (at least to many kids), but SAFE KIDS Worldwide wants every parent and child to understand the potential for serious injury that faces kids who hop aboard without proper protective gear.

During 2000 at Saint Francis Hospital alone, three times more patients than in previous years were seen due to 4-wheeler accidents. "These are not toys," says William Banner, M.D., Medical Director of The Children's Hospital at Saint Francis. "This is a vehicle, just like a car. Parents would never find it acceptable to let a five-year-old drive their car; why then is it okay to put them on a 4-wheeler where they are even less protected in case of an accident?"

Currently, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that children under the age of 16 not be allowed to ride adult-sized ATV's. The vehicle manufacturers also discourage use by persons under the age of 16. Nationally, children under the age of 14 account for approximately 40 percent of the ATV-related deaths and injuries that are reported.