With a staggering 22 reported deaths so far, 2002 may be a record setting year for ATV -related fatalities in West Virginia.

Over the last four years West Virginia has averaged 22 ATV deaths per year. A quarter of these deaths were in children under 17 years of age.  In September three people were killed in ATV crashes over a five-day period, all of them just 13 years old.

Most ATV injuries are preventable, says Jim Helmkamp, Ph.D., of the WVUCenter for Rural Emergency Medicine.  By taking simple precautions recommended by ATV manufacturers like wearing protective gear, staying off paved surfaces, and not carrying passengers, the likelihood of an injury may be significantly reduced.

Attempts at reasonable ATV legislation have been unsuccessful over the last six years due to a variety of regulatory and enforcement issues.  West Virginia remains one of only six states without ATV legislation, says Dr. Helmkamp.  States that have ATV laws have been shown to have significantly lower fatality rates.  Action needs to be taken now to protect the estimated 150,000 ATV enthusiasts in West Virginia.