Kentucky leads the nation in number of ATV deaths
September 17th, 2009 by Kurt Niland
A report on Nashville FOX affiliate WZTV’s website says a rash of motor vehicle accidents in Kentucky last week has left 15 people dead, and 4 of the victims were on all-terrain vehicles, according to Kentucky State Police. The latest deaths bring the total number of ATV-related fatalities statewide to 14.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Kentucky leads the nation in the number of ATV-related fatalities. Records compiled by the state and federal governments reveal a dramatic upward swing in the number of ATV deaths in recent years. For the 23-year period spanning 1982 to 2004, a total of 299 ATV deaths were reported statewide. However, in 2006 alone, 367 ATV deaths were reported in Kentucky, and incomplete numbers for the following years show that ATV fatalities continue to escalate.
Tragically, about one-third of all the reported ATV deaths in Kentucky are children. Kentucky law requires all children 16 years old and under to wear helmets while on an ATV, at all times, regardless of whether the ATV is on public or private land. For adults, helmet use is optional. Unfortunately, many parents continue to disregard the helmet law and seat restraints, which effectively make a deadly machine even deadlier in the event of a collision or rollover.
Counties in Kentucky reporting the most deaths are Pike, Breathitt, Floyd, Harlan, Letcher, Clay, Leslie, Pulaski, Bell, Laurel, Perry, Trigg and Whitley.
Also topping the CPSC’s list of states with the most ATV deaths were California, Texas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. ATV accidents are almost always higher in rural areas, where off-roading can be a way of life, whether for farm work, recreation, rural transportation, or all three.