WATCH: Heather Yourex has Health FYI for June 23 2015.
CALGARY – Alberta Health Services says three children have died from injuries related to incidents involving ATVs in the province between May 1 and June 21, 2015.
“ATVs are not designed for children,” said Dr. Richard Musto, AHS medical officer of health for Calgary.
“A child is prone to falling off or being thrown off. These are inherently unstable vehicles, the evidence shows they’re high-risk for injuries, and in fact, we’re seeing them as we speak in our province.”
Alberta’s two pediatric emergency departments have treated 34 children for ATV-related injuries since May 1. Seventeen of those children had injuries so severe they had to be hospitalized. Last year, between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015, 318 kids under 16 were injured on ATVs, 40 of whom had to be hospitalized. Two died of their injuries.
Health officials say parents of children under 16 should make sure their child does not drive or ride in an ATV under any circumstance.
“There’s very good evidence that under that age, children don’t have the strength, coordination and general wherewithal to be around ATVs safely.”
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