Citation

Helmkamp JC, Carter MW. South. Med. J. 2009; 102(5): 465-469.

Affiliation

Injury Control Research Center, and Department of Community Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. jhelmkamp@hsc.wvu.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Southern Medical Association)

DOI

10.1097/SMJ.0b013e31819d97f2

PMID

19373159

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Describe the epidemiology of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) deaths among persons > or =65 years of age in West Virginia from 1999-2007. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a review of death certificates identifying ATV fatalities from ICD-10 diagnostic codes V86.0, V86.1, V86.3, V86.5, V86.6, and V86.9. RESULTS: ATV deaths increased 155% from 11% during 1985-1998 to 28% during 1999-2007. Injuries to the upper and lower trunk (62%) were the most common injuries, followed by head and neck injuries (28%). Fatality rates increased substantially from 0.37 deaths per 100,000 in 1990 to 2.14 in 2007, with a twofold increase from 1.08 to 2.14 noted from 2005 to 2007. CONCLUSION: An increase in the number of ATV riders and fatality patterns among older adults suggests an increasing propensity for older adults to engage in activities associated most often with younger age groups. Safety and training efforts sensitive to the specific needs of older ATV drivers is warranted.

Language: en