Connect With Kids
Thousands of children suffer injuries from all-terrain vehicle accidents every year.
According to a new study, it's not just ATV's that are hurting kids. More are getting hurt than ever before. that story in tonight's connect with kids report.
He's been riding motorized scooters and go-carts since he was four. Jonathan Bezet's latest ride - "Pocket bike, pocket rocket, I've heard all kinds of names." Jonathan hasn't been injured but his friend Brandon has. "I was going no hands… like just one hand and it was a really slick ground and so I crashed on that and I got my arm all bruised up and stuff."
Whether it's a pocket bike, dirt bike, an a-t-v, or a scooter, a new study in the journal "Pediatrics" reports that injuries from motorized vehicles are rising. It's up to 86 percent in the last decade!
Erica Brownfield, M.D., Internal Medicine : "It can be anywhere from lacerations, abrasions, multiple fractures, there can be abdominal injuries, all the way up to spinal cord trauma, head trauma and death."
That's why, experts say, the old advice still stands: on any motorized vehicle - children need to wear a helmet. James Parker, M.D. "Because the one thing that's potential to cause them an injury resulting in death is significant head injury… falling against a hard object." Just as important, experts say, they need to be responsible.
Michael Johnston, M.D., Children's Healthcare of Atlanta says "They still need to be supervised. They still need to be operating that vehicle in a place where everyone's familiar with the terrain and in a safe manner- not goofing around with it, not racing, not riding in places that there may be obstacles that people are not familiar with."
Jonathan says intends to follow all the rules. "Like obey all the laws, like watch for cars everywhere, like behind you, beside you, everywhere."
