Save the brain — that’s the message injury and trauma prevention experts are highlighting as trauma season begins to heat up.
There are multiple safety measures for ATV (all-terrain vehicle), UTV (utility terrain vehicle), dirt bike, skateboard and bicycle riders, but wearing a helmet is one of the best decisions anyone enjoying these activities can make, said Stacey Pecenka, MPH, CPH, manager, Trauma Injury Prevention Program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
She hopes that the habit of wearing a helmet is likened to the act of putting on a seat belt.
“A helmet helps to absorb the shock upon impact to help protect the brain, reducing the severity of injury,” she said. “ATVs are part of Middle Tennessee culture. We strongly recommend the use of safety equipment to best protect anyone riding on them.”
Pecenka said that injuries resulting from ATVs peak beginning in March and typically run through July. Experts see a slowdown during the late summer months and another uptick in the fall months.
For the past 12 months, ATV injuries rank as the No. 7 mechanism of injury of pediatric trauma trends at Monroe Carell. In 2024 the hospital saw 96 ATV traumas, down 20 from 2023. Pecenka and her team are hoping that the downturn in trauma-related injuries will continue in 2025.
While ATV accidents are commonly associated with high-profile injuries, trauma prevention advocates at Monroe Carell want the community to add UTVs and golf carts to the list of motorized vehicles that can be dangerous.
An ATV is usually made for one rider to go off-roading. A UTV is a larger type of ATV designed to haul heavier loads and allow for additional passengers.
“For ATV riders, helmets are the most important gear, but it is also wise to use restraints and wear long sleeves and pants, and appropriate shoes, to prevent or minimize injuries to other parts of the body in addition to the head,” Pecenka said.
According to Pecenka, Tennessee law requires ATV riders to wear helmets and limits driving to those ages 16 and older. It’s not uncommon for emergency room personnel to treat children much younger than age 16 who have suffered ATV-related injuries, she said.
Monroe Carell fully supports recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Surgeons that children 16 and under should not ride ATVs due to the high risk of serious injuries.
“We are seeing more ATV riders being injured on streets and highways,” said Pecenka. “It is illegal, and ATVs are not meant to be driven on roads.”
Other safety measures strongly recommended include:
- Always wear protective gear — especially a helmet — when riding ATVs. Head injuries are by far the leading cause of death and disability related to ATV crashes. Helmets are known to reduce head injuries by 85%. Wear a motorcycle or motorized sports helmet and make sure it is certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation or the Snell Memorial Foundation.
- Avoid driving ATVs with a passenger or riding as a passenger. Most ATVs are designed to carry only one person.
- Take a hands-on safety training course if one is available in your area.
- Do not drive ATVs on paved roads because they are difficult to control. Collisions with cars and other vehicles can be deadly.
- Do not permit children to drive or ride adult ATVs. Children are involved in about one-third of all ATV-related deaths and injuries requiring hospital emergency room care. Most of these deaths and injuries occur when a child is driving or riding on an adult ATV.
