June 5, 2017
CALGARY – It’s Child Safety Week and Alberta Health Services (AHS) is reminding all Albertans to make all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety a priority this week and every week.
ATVs pose significant risk to all users and particularly children less than 16 years of age, who have not yet developed to the point of having the strength, skills or judgment needed to operate an ATV. Over a one-year period ending April 1, 78 children were seen in Alberta’s two pediatric emergency departments due to ATV-related injuries; 31 required hospital admission and one died.
To protect children less than 16 years of age, parents and caregivers are advised to ensure these children do not drive or ride in an ATV. This includes ATVs marketed as ‘child-sized’. Albertans
16 years of age and older are urged to take the following precautions to ensure their ATV excursions are as safe as possible:
Get trained: Before you hit the trails, get formal hands-on training from a recognized/trained ATV instructor. Don’t be shy about refreshing your training seasonally.
Visit ahs.ca/injuryprevention for more information on ATV safety and injury prevention.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
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For media inquiries, contact:
Shannon Evans
AHS Communications
403.618.1960