Childproof Your Summer: All-Terrain Vehicles
Keep your kids safe without spoiling summer fun:
9. Think twice. A 4-year-old California boy driving an all-terrain vehicle recently was killed when he crossed into the path of a truck. The tragedy highlighted a growing concern: ATV-related injuries and deaths have been mounting, and accidents involving children have nearly doubled in 15 years.
Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, notes that older children riding adult-size models are especially at risk, since they're too small for the vehicles. "They're jumping on a machine that goes 50 miles per hour, weighs 500 pounds, and they're dying," says Wolfson.
The commission is currently pushing federal legislation that would create a category of midsize ATVs appropriate for children ages 12 to 15 and impose speed limits on ATVs marketed for children. Experts say that riders should always wear a helmet and protective gear, and ride a vehicle that's the right size for them with adults nearby. And "no child 5 years old or younger should ever be on an ATV," says Wolfson.
Other ways to childproof your summer:
1. Wakeboarding • 2. Trampolines • 3. Sunscreen • 4. Drowning • 5. Internet Safety • 6. Exercise• 7. Vaccines • 8. Bug Spray • 9. All-Terrain Vehicles • 10. Medications at Camp • 11. Hydration • 12. Amusement-Park Rides