News, ATV injuries cost $3.24B annually. (SUV, highway, road, accident)

[JD59]

SALT LAKE CITY, July 7 (UPI) -- Despite legislative and manufacturer efforts to improve all-terrain vehicle
safety, injuries have soared and cost $3.24 billion annually, U.S. researchers said.

Neurosurgeons Dr. Joel MacDonald and Dr. Michael Finn, both of the University of Utah, found in 2001 there were approximately 1,117,000 emergency room visits and 495 deaths due to ATV injuries nationwide, a 211 percent increase in injuries and an increase of 159 percent in deaths from 1993.

ATV injuries cost $3.24B annually - UPI.com

[sirron]

It's a horrible statistic that is unfortunately easy to believe from what I see around my county. Adults who carry their tiny children in front or on the back, no helmets, sometimes no shoes, driving down state highways and township roads. Last summer a teenage girl lost both legs in an accident with an SUV. We have designated trails paid for with tax dollars set up just for them, but they don't use them.