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Recreational Terrain Vehicle (RTV) Accidents Pose
Serious Risk for Children
Recreational Terrain Vehicles (RTVs) are
frequently used on farms and ranches to haul feed,
equipment and people. RTVs are also used for fun by
both children and adults. Unfortunately, kids are often
the victims of RTV and ATV accidents.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, there were an estimated 93,700 ATVrelated, emergency department-treated injuries in the
United States in 2014. An estimated 26 percent of
these involved children younger than 16 years of age.
Don’t think this can happen to you or members
6 West Virginia Farm Bureau News
of your family? Consider the following accident that
was reported as a claim a few years ago:A farmer’s
14-year-old son got permission from his dad to
use the farm’s RTV to transport two 14-year-old
friends and camera equipment to a field to film a
documentary for a school project. The young men
were properly seat-belted when they left.
Instead of coming straight home following filming,
the young men rode to a public gravel parking lot
to horseplay and do donuts. While the farmer’s son
was driving, the RTV tipped over—trapping the
passengers’ legs under the unit.