Fewer Children Going to Emergency Room for ATV-Related Injuries

Kids and all-terrain vehicles (ATVS)-they just don't mix. Or do they?

Well, health officials aren't really certain. All they know is the number of U.S. children injured by accidents related to driving one has decreased within the last several years.

According to Reuters Health, accidents resulting in emergency room visits rolling around in one of these vehicles has seen a dramatic drop since 2004.

Researchers are unclear what's causing this trend. It could be that financial reasons are preventing townies from buying more ATVs, or it could be that more people are practicing safety precautions when riding these vehicles.

According to Ruth Shults of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's national Center for Injury Prevention and Control, her colleagues analyzed information from a U.S. injury surveillance system that tracks emergency visits to a nationally-representative group of about 66 hospitals.

The organization notes that between 2001 and 2010, hospitals saw close to 5,500 children ages 15 and under entering emergency rooms due to injuries sustained from ATV accidents. This is the equivalent to just over 361,000.

Boys were more likely to ride an ATV or sustain an injury from an ATV related accident according to the study.

"At least among children who show up in the emergency department, the severity of the injuries seems to be about the same" over time, Shults told Reuters Health.

However, the study notes that children who were seen in clinics or at their primary care doctors were not included in the study analysis, and may ultimately show a bigger of those sustaining injuries from accidents involving ATVs.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends prohibiting all children under 16 years old from using ATVs.